diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor.cpp b/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor.cpp
index 615cd75102..017d36e5e7 100644
--- a/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor.cpp
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ MLIAPDescriptor::MLIAPDescriptor(LAMMPS *lmp) :
 
 MLIAPDescriptor::~MLIAPDescriptor()
 {
-  for (int i = 0; i < nelements; i++) delete[] elements[i];
+  if (allocated_elements)
+    for (int i = 0; i < nelements; i++) delete[] elements[i];
   delete[] elements;
   memory->destroy(cutsq);
   memory->destroy(radelem);
diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor_ace.cpp b/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor_ace.cpp
index b13699193c..9b5d473123 100644
--- a/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor_ace.cpp
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/mliap_descriptor_ace.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ MLIAPDescriptorACE::MLIAPDescriptorACE(LAMMPS *_lmp, char *yacefilename) :
     for (int iielem = 0; iielem < nelements; iielem++) delete[] elements[iielem];
     delete[] elements;
     allocated_elements = 0;
-  } else if (not allocated_elements) {
+  } else if (!allocated_elements) {
     elements = new char *[nelements];
     for (int iielem = 0; iielem < nelements; iielem++) {
       elements[iielem] = utils::strdup(acemlimpl->basis_set->elements_name[iielem]);
diff --git a/src/ML-IAP/mliap_unified.cpp b/src/ML-IAP/mliap_unified.cpp
index a7970022f4..d95bd060d7 100644
--- a/src/ML-IAP/mliap_unified.cpp
+++ b/src/ML-IAP/mliap_unified.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ void MLIAPDummyDescriptor::set_elements(char **elems, int nelems)
 {
   nelements = nelems;
   elements = new char *[nelems];
-  for (int i = 0; i < nelems; i++) { elements[i] = utils::strdup(elems[i]); }
+  for (int i = 0; i < nelems; i++) elements[i] = utils::strdup(elems[i]);
+  allocated_elements = 1;
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */