diff --git a/src/USER-MISC/fix_bond_react.cpp b/src/USER-MISC/fix_bond_react.cpp
index b9a8d58c41..45dccba868 100644
--- a/src/USER-MISC/fix_bond_react.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-MISC/fix_bond_react.cpp
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ FixBondReact::FixBondReact(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
     open(files[i]);
     onemol = atom->molecules[unreacted_mol[i]];
     twomol = atom->molecules[reacted_mol[i]];
+    onemol->check_attributes(0);
+    twomol->check_attributes(0);
     if (onemol->natoms != twomol->natoms)
       error->all(FLERR,"Post-reacted template must contain the same "
                        "number of atoms as the pre-reacted template");