diff --git a/src/FEP/fix_adapt_fep.cpp b/src/FEP/fix_adapt_fep.cpp
index f457a12adf..668a3c2260 100644
--- a/src/FEP/fix_adapt_fep.cpp
+++ b/src/FEP/fix_adapt_fep.cpp
@@ -91,20 +91,10 @@ FixAdaptFEP::FixAdaptFEP(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       adapt[nadapt].which = PAIR;
       adapt[nadapt].pstyle = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+1]);
       adapt[nadapt].pparam = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+2]);
-      char *typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], Atom::ATOM, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].ilo = adapt[nadapt].ihi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->ntypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
-      typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+4], Atom::ATOM, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].jlo = adapt[nadapt].jhi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+4], 1, atom->ntypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].jlo, adapt[nadapt].jhi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->ntypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error, lmp, Atom::ATOM);
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+4], 1, atom->ntypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].jlo, adapt[nadapt].jhi, error, lmp, Atom::ATOM);
 
       // switch i,j if i > j, if wildcards were not used
 
@@ -140,13 +130,8 @@ FixAdaptFEP::FixAdaptFEP(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
         adapt[nadapt].aparam = CHARGE;
         chgflag = 1;
       } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal fix adapt/fep command");
-      char *typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+2], Atom::ATOM, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].ilo = adapt[nadapt].ihi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+2], 1, atom->ntypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+2], 1, atom->ntypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error, lmp, Atom::ATOM);
       if (utils::strmatch(arg[iarg+3],"^v_")) {
         adapt[nadapt].var = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+3]+2);
       } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal fix adapt/fep command");
diff --git a/src/fix_adapt.cpp b/src/fix_adapt.cpp
index d68c5f368a..d1fa4b3312 100644
--- a/src/fix_adapt.cpp
+++ b/src/fix_adapt.cpp
@@ -99,20 +99,10 @@ FixAdapt::FixAdapt(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       adapt[nadapt].pair = nullptr;
       adapt[nadapt].pstyle = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+1]);
       adapt[nadapt].pparam = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+2]);
-      char *typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], Atom::ATOM, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].ilo = adapt[nadapt].ihi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->ntypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
-      typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+4], Atom::ATOM, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].jlo = adapt[nadapt].jhi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+4], 1, atom->ntypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].jlo, adapt[nadapt].jhi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->ntypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error, lmp, Atom::ATOM);
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+4], 1, atom->ntypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].jlo, adapt[nadapt].jhi, error, lmp, Atom::ATOM);
 
       // switch i,j if i > j, if wildcards were not used
 
@@ -136,13 +126,8 @@ FixAdapt::FixAdapt(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       adapt[nadapt].bond = nullptr;
       adapt[nadapt].bstyle = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+1]);
       adapt[nadapt].bparam = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+2]);
-      char *typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], Atom::BOND, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].ilo = adapt[nadapt].ihi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->nbondtypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->nbondtypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error, lmp, Atom::BOND);
       if (utils::strmatch(arg[iarg+4],"^v_")) {
         adapt[nadapt].var = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+4]+2);
       } else error->all(FLERR,"Argument #{} must be variable not {}", iarg+5, arg[iarg+4]);
@@ -154,13 +139,8 @@ FixAdapt::FixAdapt(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
       adapt[nadapt].angle = nullptr;
       adapt[nadapt].astyle = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+1]);
       adapt[nadapt].aparam = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+2]);
-      char *typestr = nullptr;
-      typestr = utils::expand_type(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], Atom::ANGLE, lmp);
-      if (typestr)
-        adapt[nadapt].ilo = adapt[nadapt].ihi = utils::inumeric(FLERR, typestr, false, lmp);
-      else utils::bounds(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->nangletypes,
-                         adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error);
-      delete[] typestr;
+      utils::bounds_typelabel(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 1, atom->nangletypes,
+                              adapt[nadapt].ilo, adapt[nadapt].ihi, error, lmp, Atom::ANGLE);
       if (utils::strmatch(arg[iarg+4],"^v_")) {
         adapt[nadapt].var = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+4]+2);
       } else error->all(FLERR,"Argument #{} must be variable not {}", iarg+5, arg[iarg+4]);