diff --git a/src/KIM/pair_kim.cpp b/src/KIM/pair_kim.cpp
index 1b709a65c2..cf6374ab2d 100644
--- a/src/KIM/pair_kim.cpp
+++ b/src/KIM/pair_kim.cpp
@@ -477,12 +477,10 @@ void PairKIM::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
         if (paramname == str_name_str) break;
       }
 
-      if (param_index >= numberOfParameters) {
-        auto msg = fmt::format("Wrong argument for pair coefficients.\n"
-                               "This Model does not have the requested "
-                               "'{}' parameter", paramname);
-        error->all(FLERR,msg);
-      }
+      if (param_index >= numberOfParameters)
+        error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Wrong argument for pair coefficients.\n"
+                                     "This Model does not have the requested "
+                                     "'{}' parameter", paramname));
 
       // Get the index_range for the requested parameter
       int nlbound(0);
@@ -492,12 +490,10 @@ void PairKIM::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
         std::string argtostr(arg[i++]);
 
         // Check to see if the indices range contains only integer numbers & :
-        if (argtostr.find_first_not_of("0123456789:") != std::string::npos) {
-          auto msg = fmt::format("Illegal index_range.\nExpected integer "
-                                 "parameter(s) instead of '{}' in "
-                                 "index_range", argtostr);
-          error->all(FLERR,msg);
-        }
+        if (argtostr.find_first_not_of("0123456789:") != std::string::npos)
+          error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Illegal index_range.\nExpected integer"
+                                       " parameter(s) instead of '{}' in "
+                                       "index_range", argtostr));
 
         std::string::size_type npos = argtostr.find(':');
         if (npos != std::string::npos) {
@@ -507,21 +503,17 @@ void PairKIM::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
           nubound = atoi(words[1].c_str());
 
           if (nubound < 1 || nubound > extent ||
-              nlbound < 1 || nlbound > nubound) {
-            auto msg = fmt::format("Illegal index_range '{}-{}' for '{}' "
-                                   "parameter with the extent of '{}'",
-                                   nlbound, nubound, paramname, extent);
-            error->all(FLERR,msg);
-          }
+              nlbound < 1 || nlbound > nubound)
+            error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Illegal index_range '{}-{}' for '{}' "
+                                         "parameter with the extent of '{}'",
+                                         nlbound, nubound, paramname, extent));
         } else {
           nlbound = atoi(argtostr.c_str());
 
-          if (nlbound < 1 || nlbound > extent) {
-            auto msg = fmt::format("Illegal index '{}' for '{}' parameter "
-                                   "with the extent of '{}'", nlbound,
-                                   paramname, extent);
-            error->all(FLERR,msg);
-          }
+          if (nlbound < 1 || nlbound > extent)
+            error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Illegal index '{}' for '{}' parameter "
+                                         "with the extent of '{}'", nlbound,
+                                         paramname, extent));
 
           nubound = nlbound;
         }
@@ -551,11 +543,10 @@ void PairKIM::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
         } else
           error->all(FLERR,"Wrong parameter type to update");
       } else {
-        auto msg = fmt::format("Wrong number of variable values for pair "
-                               "coefficients.\n'{}' values are requested "
-                               "for '{}' parameter", nubound - nlbound + 1,
-                               paramname);
-        error->all(FLERR,msg);
+        error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Wrong number of variable values for pair "
+                                     "coefficients.\n'{}' values are requested "
+                                     "for '{}' parameter", nubound - nlbound + 1,
+                                     paramname));
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_manifoldforce.cpp b/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_manifoldforce.cpp
index d389b9787e..26d209e7a9 100644
--- a/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_manifoldforce.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_manifoldforce.cpp
@@ -58,22 +58,16 @@ FixManifoldForce::FixManifoldForce(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
   ptr_m = create_manifold(m_name,lmp,narg,arg);
 
   // Construct manifold from factory:
-  if (!ptr_m) {
-    char msg[2048];
-    snprintf(msg,2048,"Manifold pointer for manifold '%s' was NULL for some reason", arg[3]);
-    error->all(FLERR,msg);
-  }
-
+  if (!ptr_m)
+    error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Manifold pointer for manifold '{}' "
+                                 "was NULL for some reason", arg[3]));
 
   // After constructing the manifold, you can safely make
   // room for the parameters
   nvars = ptr_m->nparams();
-  if (narg < nvars+4) {
-    char msg[2048];
-    sprintf(msg,"Manifold %s needs at least %d argument(s)!",
-            m_name, nvars);
-    error->all(FLERR,msg);
-  }
+  if (narg < nvars+4)
+    error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Manifold {} needs at least {} "
+                                 "argument(s)!", m_name, nvars));
 
   ptr_m->params = new double[nvars];
   if (ptr_m->params == nullptr) {
diff --git a/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_nve_manifold_rattle.cpp b/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_nve_manifold_rattle.cpp
index 5d5bdea156..a45d62a588 100644
--- a/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_nve_manifold_rattle.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-MANIFOLD/fix_nve_manifold_rattle.cpp
@@ -95,9 +95,7 @@ FixNVEManifoldRattle::FixNVEManifoldRattle( LAMMPS *lmp, int &narg, char **arg,
   max_iter  = utils::numeric( FLERR, arg[4] ,false,lmp);
 
   ptr_m = create_manifold(arg[5], lmp, narg, arg);
-  if (!ptr_m) {
-    error->all(FLERR,"Error creating manifold pointer");
-  }
+  if (!ptr_m) error->all(FLERR,"Error creating manifold pointer");
 
   nvars = ptr_m->nparams();
   tstrs  = new char*[nvars];
@@ -105,17 +103,13 @@ FixNVEManifoldRattle::FixNVEManifoldRattle( LAMMPS *lmp, int &narg, char **arg,
   tstyle = new int[nvars];
   is_var = new int[nvars];
 
-  if (!tstrs || !tvars || !tstyle || !is_var) {
+  if (!tstrs || !tvars || !tstyle || !is_var)
     error->all(FLERR, "Error creating manifold arg arrays");
-  }
 
   // Check if you have enough args:
-  if (6 + nvars > narg) {
-    char msg[2048];
-    sprintf(msg, "Not enough args for manifold %s, %d expected but got %d\n",
-            ptr_m->id(), nvars, narg - 6);
-    error->all(FLERR, msg);
-  }
+  if (6 + nvars > narg)
+    error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Not enough args for manifold {}, {} expected "
+                                 "but got {}\n",ptr_m->id(),nvars, narg - 6));
   // Loop over manifold args:
   for (int i = 0; i < nvars; ++i) {
     int len = 0, offset = 0;
@@ -154,9 +148,7 @@ FixNVEManifoldRattle::FixNVEManifoldRattle( LAMMPS *lmp, int &narg, char **arg,
       }
       argi += 2;
     } else if (error_on_unknown_keyword) {
-      char msg[2048];
-      sprintf(msg,"Error parsing arg \"%s\".\n", arg[argi]);
-      error->all(FLERR, msg);
+      error->all(FLERR,fmt::format("Error parsing arg \"{}\".\n",arg[argi]));
     } else {
       argi += 1;
     }
diff --git a/src/USER-MISC/dihedral_table.cpp b/src/USER-MISC/dihedral_table.cpp
index 30e6192275..a81037cad6 100644
--- a/src/USER-MISC/dihedral_table.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-MISC/dihedral_table.cpp
@@ -1183,10 +1183,8 @@ void DihedralTable::spline_table(Table *tb)
       }
     } // for (int i=0; i<tb->ninput; i++)
 
-    if ((num_disagreements > tb->ninput/2) && (num_disagreements > 2)) {
-      std::string msg("Dihedral table has inconsistent forces and energies. (Try \"NOF\".)\n");
-      error->all(FLERR, msg);
-    }
+    if ((num_disagreements > tb->ninput/2) && (num_disagreements > 2))
+      error->all(FLERR,"Dihedral table has inconsistent forces and energies. (Try \"NOF\".)\n");
 
   } // check for consistency if (! tb->f_unspecified)