diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp
index a4f6ee3edd..d8e044e078 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ void PairTersoffZBL::read_file(char *file)
   int params_per_line = 21;
   char **words = new char*[params_per_line+1];
 
-  delete [] params;
+  memory->sfree(params);
   params = NULL;
   nparams = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp b/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp
index 4265d84fb7..b84565aab8 100644
--- a/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void PairTersoffZBLOMP::read_file(char *file)
   int params_per_line = 21;
   char **words = new char*[params_per_line+1];
 
-  delete [] params;
+  memory->sfree(params)
   params = NULL;
   nparams = 0;