diff --git a/src/accelerator_kokkos.h b/src/accelerator_kokkos.h
index 2c542b74fd..ddaff2ce1c 100644
--- a/src/accelerator_kokkos.h
+++ b/src/accelerator_kokkos.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class KokkosLMP {
 
 class AtomKokkos : public Atom {
  public:
+  tagint **k_special;
   AtomKokkos(class LAMMPS *lmp) : Atom(lmp) {}
   ~AtomKokkos() {}
 };
diff --git a/src/memory.h b/src/memory.h
index 1af77cb771..27b50f6198 100644
--- a/src/memory.h
+++ b/src/memory.h
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@ class Memory : protected Pointers {
   void fail(const char *);
 
   // Kokkos memory allocation functions
-  // could provide a dummy any Kokkos memory function
+  // provide a dummy prototpye for any Kokkos memory function
   //   called in main LAMMPS even when not built with KOKKOS package
 
 #ifdef LMP_KOKKOS
 #include "memory_kokkos.h"
+#else
+  void grow_kokkos(tagint **, tagint **, int, int, const char*) {}
 #endif
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/special.cpp b/src/special.cpp
index 7f863b229e..420a8388ab 100644
--- a/src/special.cpp
+++ b/src/special.cpp
@@ -575,10 +575,8 @@ void Special::combine()
 
   if (lmp->kokkos) {
     AtomKokkos* atomKK = (AtomKokkos*) atom;
-#ifdef LMP_KOKKOS
     memory->grow_kokkos(atomKK->k_special,atom->special,
                         atom->nmax,atom->maxspecial,"atom:special");
-#endif
   } else {
     memory->destroy(atom->special);
     memory->create(atom->special,atom->nmax,atom->maxspecial,"atom:special");