diff --git a/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt.cpp b/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt.cpp
index 2251073b18..792f744339 100644
--- a/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt.cpp
+++ b/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt.cpp
@@ -756,6 +756,8 @@ void PairMesoCNT::init_style()
 {
   if (atom->tag_enable == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Pair style mesocnt requires atom IDs");
   if (force->newton_pair == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Pair style mesocnt requires newton pair on");
+  if (force->special_lj[1] == 0.0 || force->special_lj[2] == 0.0 || force->special_lj[3] == 0.0)
+    error->all(FLERR,"Pair mesocnt requires special_bond lj x y z to have non-zero x, y and z");
 
   // need a full neighbor list
 
diff --git a/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.cpp b/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.cpp
index 06c2b38046..c58d6a6774 100644
--- a/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.cpp
+++ b/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "pair_mesocnt_viscous.h"
 
 #include "atom.h"
+#include "comm.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "force.h"
 #include "math_const.h"
@@ -747,6 +748,24 @@ void PairMesoCNTViscous::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
     for (int j = i; j <= ntypes; j++) setflag[i][j] = 1;
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   init specific to this pair style
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+void PairMesoCNTViscous::init_style()
+{
+  if (atom->tag_enable == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Pair style mesocnt/viscous requires atom IDs");
+  if (force->newton_pair == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Pair style mesocnt/viscous requires newton pair on");
+  if (force->special_lj[1] == 0.0 || force->special_lj[2] == 0.0 || force->special_lj[3] == 0.0)
+    error->all(FLERR,"Pair mesocnt/viscous requires special_bond lj x y z to have non-zero x, y and z");
+  if (comm->ghost_velocity == 0)
+    error->all(FLERR,"Pair mesocnt/viscous requires ghost atoms store velocity");
+
+  // need a full neighbor list
+
+  neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_FULL);
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    weight for averaged friction from CNT chain
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.h b/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.h
index 2027435da3..dc5a701e0b 100644
--- a/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.h
+++ b/src/MESONT/pair_mesocnt_viscous.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class PairMesoCNTViscous : public PairMesoCNT {
 
   void compute(int, int) override;
   void coeff(int, char **) override;
+  void init_style() override;
 
  protected:
   double a1, a2, b2, vswitch;