diff --git a/doc/src/Speed_kokkos.txt b/doc/src/Speed_kokkos.txt
index 6e64510e44..597ed73e53 100644
--- a/doc/src/Speed_kokkos.txt
+++ b/doc/src/Speed_kokkos.txt
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ the case, especially when using pre-compiled MPI libraries provided by
 a Linux distribution. This is not a problem when using only a single
 GPU and a single MPI rank on a desktop. When running with multiple
 MPI ranks, you may see segmentation faults without GPU-direct support.
-These can be avoided by adding the flags '-pk kokkos gpu/direct no'
-to the LAMMPS command line or using "package kokkos gpu/direct no"_package.html
-in the input file.
+These can be avoided by adding the flags '-pk kokkos gpu/direct off'
+to the LAMMPS command line or by using the command
+"package kokkos gpu/direct off"_package.html in the input file.
 
 Use a C++11 compatible compiler and set KOKKOS_ARCH variable in
 /src/MAKE/OPTIONS/Makefile.kokkos_cuda_mpi for both GPU and CPU as
diff --git a/doc/src/package.txt b/doc/src/package.txt
index 19a19156b7..55bd111b50 100644
--- a/doc/src/package.txt
+++ b/doc/src/package.txt
@@ -507,10 +507,10 @@ typically faster to let the host handle communication, by using the
 {host} value.  Using {host} instead of {no} will enable use of
 multiple threads to pack/unpack communicated data.
 
-The {gpu/direct} keyword chooses whether GPU-direct will be used. When 
-this keyword is set to {on}, buffers in GPU memory are passed directly 
-through MPI send/receive calls. This reduces overhead of first copying 
-the data to the host CPU. However GPU-direct is not supported on all 
+The {gpu/direct} keyword chooses whether GPU-direct will be used. When
+this keyword is set to {on}, buffers in GPU memory are passed directly
+through MPI send/receive calls. This reduces overhead of first copying
+the data to the host CPU. However GPU-direct is not supported on all
 systems, which can lead to segmentation faults and would require
 using a value of {off}. When the {gpu/direct} keyword is set to {off}
 while any of the {comm} keywords are set to {device}, the value for the
@@ -622,12 +622,12 @@ is used.  If it is not used, you must invoke the package intel
 command in your input script or or via the "-pk intel" "command-line
 switch"_Section_start.html#start_6.
 
-For the KOKKOS package, the option defaults neigh = full, neigh/qeq = 
-full, newton = off, binsize = 0.0, and comm = device, gpu/direct = on. 
-These settings are made automatically by the required "-k on" 
-"command-line switch"_Section_start.html#start_6. You can change them bu 
-using the package kokkos command in your input script or via the "-pk 
-kokkos" "command-line switch"_Section_start.html#start_6. 
+For the KOKKOS package, the option defaults neigh = full, neigh/qeq =
+full, newton = off, binsize = 0.0, and comm = device, gpu/direct = on.
+These settings are made automatically by the required "-k on"
+"command-line switch"_Section_start.html#start_6. You can change them by
+using the package kokkos command in your input script or via the "-pk
+kokkos" "command-line switch"_Section_start.html#start_6.
 
 For the OMP package, the default is Nthreads = 0 and the option
 defaults are neigh = yes.  These settings are made automatically if
diff --git a/src/KOKKOS/kokkos.cpp b/src/KOKKOS/kokkos.cpp
index 078b871473..050b1420d3 100644
--- a/src/KOKKOS/kokkos.cpp
+++ b/src/KOKKOS/kokkos.cpp
@@ -156,16 +156,16 @@ KokkosLMP::KokkosLMP(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char **arg) : Pointers(lmp)
     } else if (-1 == have_gpu_direct() ) {
       error->warning(FLERR,"Kokkos with CUDA assumes GPU-direct is available,"
                      " but cannot determine if this is the case\n         try"
-                     " '-pk kokkos gpu/direct no' when getting segmentation faults");
+                     " '-pk kokkos gpu/direct off' when getting segmentation faults");
     } else if ( 0 == have_gpu_direct() ) {
       error->warning(FLERR,"GPU-direct is NOT available, but some parts of "
                      "Kokkos with CUDA require it by default\n         try"
-                     " '-pk kokkos gpu/direct no' when getting segmentation faults");
+                     " '-pk kokkos gpu/direct off' when getting segmentation faults");
     } else {
       ; // should never get here
     }
   }
-    
+
 #endif
 
   Kokkos::InitArguments args;
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ void KokkosLMP::accelerator(int narg, char **arg)
     } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal package kokkos command");
   }
 
-  // if "gpu/direct no" and "comm device", change to "comm host"
+  // if "gpu/direct off" and "comm device", change to "comm host"
 
   if (!gpu_direct) {
    if (exchange_comm_classic == 0 && exchange_comm_on_host == 0)