diff --git a/python/lammps/constants.py b/python/lammps/constants.py
index 1d0d8adb78..3a66eac661 100644
--- a/python/lammps/constants.py
+++ b/python/lammps/constants.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ LMP_VAR_ATOM       = 1
 LMP_VAR_VECTOR     = 2
 LMP_VAR_STRING     = 3
 
+# default buffer size for string buffers
+LMP_BUFSIZE        = 1024
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 def get_ctypes_int(size):
diff --git a/python/lammps/core.py b/python/lammps/core.py
index f9e297e7f9..92e73adc1c 100644
--- a/python/lammps/core.py
+++ b/python/lammps/core.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from lammps.constants import LAMMPS_AUTODETECT, LAMMPS_STRING, \
   LMP_TYPE_SCALAR, LMP_TYPE_VECTOR, LMP_TYPE_ARRAY, \
   LMP_SIZE_VECTOR, LMP_SIZE_ROWS, LMP_SIZE_COLS, \
   LMP_VAR_EQUAL, LMP_VAR_ATOM, LMP_VAR_VECTOR, LMP_VAR_STRING, \
-  get_ctypes_int
+  LMP_BUFSIZE, get_ctypes_int
 
 from lammps.data import NeighList
 
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ class lammps(object):
 
     self.lib.lammps_get_last_error_message.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_char_p, c_int]
     self.lib.lammps_get_last_error_message.restype = c_int
+    self.lib.lammps_set_show_error.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_int]
 
     self.lib.lammps_extract_global.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_char_p]
     self.lib.lammps_extract_global_datatype.argtypes = [c_void_p, c_char_p]
@@ -704,8 +705,8 @@ class lammps(object):
     :rtype:  string
     """
 
-    sb = create_string_buffer(512)
-    self.lib.lammps_get_os_info(sb,512)
+    sb = create_string_buffer(LMP_BUFSIZE)
+    self.lib.lammps_get_os_info(sb, LMP_BUFSIZE)
     return sb.value.decode()
 
   # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -734,8 +735,8 @@ class lammps(object):
 
   @property
   def _lammps_exception(self):
-    sb = create_string_buffer(100)
-    error_type = self.lib.lammps_get_last_error_message(self.lmp, sb, 100)
+    sb = create_string_buffer(LMP_BUFSIZE)
+    error_type = self.lib.lammps_get_last_error_message(self.lmp, sb, LMP_BUFSIZE)
     error_msg = sb.value.decode().strip()
 
     if error_type == 2:
@@ -2319,8 +2320,9 @@ class lammps(object):
     :rtype:  string
     """
 
-    sb = create_string_buffer(8192)
-    self.lib.lammps_get_gpu_device_info(sb,8192)
+    BUFSIZE = 8192
+    sb = create_string_buffer(BUFSIZE)
+    self.lib.lammps_get_gpu_device_info(sb, BUFSIZE)
     return sb.value.decode()
 
   # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -2337,9 +2339,9 @@ class lammps(object):
     if self._installed_packages is None:
       self._installed_packages = []
       npackages = self.lib.lammps_config_package_count()
-      sb = create_string_buffer(100)
+      sb = create_string_buffer(LMP_BUFSIZE)
       for idx in range(npackages):
-        self.lib.lammps_config_package_name(idx, sb, 100)
+        self.lib.lammps_config_package_name(idx, sb, LMP_BUFSIZE)
         self._installed_packages.append(sb.value.decode())
     return self._installed_packages
 
@@ -2375,6 +2377,7 @@ class lammps(object):
     :return: list of style names in given category
     :rtype:  list
     """
+    BUFSIZE = 8192
     if self._available_styles is None:
       self._available_styles = {}
 
@@ -2382,10 +2385,10 @@ class lammps(object):
       self._available_styles[category] = []
       with ExceptionCheck(self):
         nstyles = self.lib.lammps_style_count(self.lmp, category.encode())
-      sb = create_string_buffer(100)
+      sb = create_string_buffer(BUFSIZE)
       for idx in range(nstyles):
         with ExceptionCheck(self):
-          self.lib.lammps_style_name(self.lmp, category.encode(), idx, sb, 100)
+          self.lib.lammps_style_name(self.lmp, category.encode(), idx, sb, BUFSIZE)
         self._available_styles[category].append(sb.value.decode())
     return self._available_styles[category]
 
@@ -2430,9 +2433,9 @@ class lammps(object):
     available_ids = []
     if category in categories:
       num = self.lib.lammps_id_count(self.lmp, category.encode())
-      sb = create_string_buffer(100)
+      sb = create_string_buffer(LMP_BUFSIZE)
       for idx in range(num):
-        self.lib.lammps_id_name(self.lmp, category.encode(), idx, sb, 100)
+        self.lib.lammps_id_name(self.lmp, category.encode(), idx, sb, LMP_BUFSIZE)
         available_ids.append(sb.value.decode())
     return available_ids
 
@@ -2452,10 +2455,10 @@ class lammps(object):
 
     available_plugins = []
     num = self.lib.lammps_plugin_count(self.lmp)
-    sty = create_string_buffer(100)
-    nam = create_string_buffer(100)
+    sty = create_string_buffer(LMP_BUFSIZE)
+    nam = create_string_buffer(LMP_BUFSIZE)
     for idx in range(num):
-      self.lib.lammps_plugin_name(idx, sty, nam, 100)
+      self.lib.lammps_plugin_name(idx, sty, nam, LMP_BUFSIZE)
       available_plugins.append([sty.value.decode(), nam.value.decode()])
     return available_plugins