diff --git a/src/pair_hybrid.cpp b/src/pair_hybrid.cpp
index aa43f2fab5..c3115e0b7f 100644
--- a/src/pair_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/pair_hybrid.cpp
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ void PairHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
   // allocate each sub-style and call its settings() with subset of args
   // define subset of args for a sub-style by skipping numeric args
   // one exception is 1st arg of style "table", which is non-numeric word
+  // one exception is 1st two args of style "lj/coul", which are non-numeric
+  // need a better way to skip these exceptions
 
   nstyles = 0;
   i = 0;
@@ -227,6 +229,7 @@ void PairHybrid::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     strcpy(keywords[nstyles],arg[i]);
     istyle = i;
     if (strcmp(arg[i],"table") == 0) i++;
+    if (strcmp(arg[i],"lj/coul") == 0) i += 2;
     i++;
     while (i < narg && !isalpha(arg[i][0])) i++;
     styles[nstyles]->settings(i-istyle-1,&arg[istyle+1]);