diff --git a/src/angle_hybrid.cpp b/src/angle_hybrid.cpp
index db768fb243..f0e9002ace 100644
--- a/src/angle_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/angle_hybrid.cpp
@@ -306,6 +306,16 @@ void AngleHybrid::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void AngleHybrid::init_style()
 {
+  // error if sub-style is not used
+
+  int used;
+  for (int istyle = 0; istyle < nstyles; ++istyle) {
+    used = 0;
+    for (int itype = 1; itype <= atom->nangletypes; ++itype)
+      if (map[itype] == istyle) used = 1;
+    if (used == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Angle hybrid sub-style {} is not used", keywords[istyle]);
+  }
+
   for (int m = 0; m < nstyles; m++)
     if (styles[m]) styles[m]->init_style();
 }
diff --git a/src/bond_hybrid.cpp b/src/bond_hybrid.cpp
index 74ee0e3494..1528c25fe8 100644
--- a/src/bond_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/bond_hybrid.cpp
@@ -334,6 +334,16 @@ void BondHybrid::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void BondHybrid::init_style()
 {
+  // error if sub-style is not used
+
+  int used;
+  for (int istyle = 0; istyle < nstyles; ++istyle) {
+    used = 0;
+    for (int itype = 1; itype <= atom->nbondtypes; ++itype)
+      if (map[itype] == istyle) used = 1;
+    if (used == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Bond hybrid sub-style {} is not used", keywords[istyle]);
+  }
+
   for (int m = 0; m < nstyles; m++)
     if (styles[m]) styles[m]->init_style();
 
diff --git a/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp b/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp
index 129ea9a975..734009b901 100644
--- a/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/dihedral_hybrid.cpp
@@ -313,6 +313,16 @@ void DihedralHybrid::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void DihedralHybrid::init_style()
 {
+  // error if sub-style is not used
+
+  int used;
+  for (int istyle = 0; istyle < nstyles; ++istyle) {
+    used = 0;
+    for (int itype = 1; itype <= atom->ndihedraltypes; ++itype)
+      if (map[itype] == istyle) used = 1;
+    if (used == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Dihedral hybrid sub-style {} is not used", keywords[istyle]);
+  }
+
   for (int m = 0; m < nstyles; m++)
     if (styles[m]) styles[m]->init_style();
 }
diff --git a/src/improper_hybrid.cpp b/src/improper_hybrid.cpp
index 6d73ed7cc7..b78e1ab5ca 100644
--- a/src/improper_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/improper_hybrid.cpp
@@ -305,6 +305,16 @@ void ImproperHybrid::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void ImproperHybrid::init_style()
 {
+  // error if sub-style is not used
+
+  int used;
+  for (int istyle = 0; istyle < nstyles; ++istyle) {
+    used = 0;
+    for (int itype = 1; itype <= atom->nimpropertypes; ++itype)
+      if (map[itype] == istyle) used = 1;
+    if (used == 0) error->all(FLERR, "Improper hybrid sub-style {} is not used", keywords[istyle]);
+  }
+
   for (int m = 0; m < nstyles; m++)
     if (styles[m]) styles[m]->init_style();
 }