diff --git a/src/MPIIO/dump_atom_mpiio.cpp b/src/MPIIO/dump_atom_mpiio.cpp
index 9ba779924f..f8e29ba46e 100644
--- a/src/MPIIO/dump_atom_mpiio.cpp
+++ b/src/MPIIO/dump_atom_mpiio.cpp
@@ -234,14 +234,25 @@ void DumpAtomMPIIO::init_style()
 
   // setup column string
 
+  std::string default_columns;
+
   if (scale_flag == 0 && image_flag == 0)
-    columns = (char *) "id type x y z";
+    default_columns = "id type x y z";
   else if (scale_flag == 0 && image_flag == 1)
-    columns = (char *) "id type x y z ix iy iz";
+    default_columns = "id type x y z ix iy iz";
   else if (scale_flag == 1 && image_flag == 0)
-    columns = (char *) "id type xs ys zs";
+    default_columns = "id type xs ys zs";
   else if (scale_flag == 1 && image_flag == 1)
-    columns = (char *) "id type xs ys zs ix iy iz";
+    default_columns = "id type xs ys zs ix iy iz";
+
+  int icol = 0;
+  columns.clear();
+  for (auto item : utils::split_words(default_columns)) {
+    if (columns.size()) columns += " ";
+    if (keyword_user[icol].size()) columns += keyword_user[icol];
+    else columns += item;
+    ++icol;
+  }
 
   // setup function ptrs
 
diff --git a/src/MPIIO/dump_custom_mpiio.cpp b/src/MPIIO/dump_custom_mpiio.cpp
index 372b8705b9..196a2d0bb9 100644
--- a/src/MPIIO/dump_custom_mpiio.cpp
+++ b/src/MPIIO/dump_custom_mpiio.cpp
@@ -216,6 +216,19 @@ void DumpCustomMPIIO::write()
 
 void DumpCustomMPIIO::init_style()
 {
+  // assemble ITEMS: column string from defaults and user values
+
+  delete[] columns;
+  std::string combined;
+  int icol = 0;
+  for (auto item : utils::split_words(columns_default)) {
+    if (combined.size()) combined += " ";
+    if (keyword_user[icol].size()) combined += keyword_user[icol];
+    else combined += item;
+    ++icol;
+  }
+  columns = utils::strdup(combined);
+
   // format = copy of default or user-specified line format
 
   delete[] format;
diff --git a/src/dump_atom.cpp b/src/dump_atom.cpp
index faad91f3c5..3662c01313 100644
--- a/src/dump_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_atom.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ void DumpAtom::init_style()
   domain->boundary_string(boundstr);
 
   // setup column string
+
   std::string default_columns;
 
   if (scale_flag == 0 && image_flag == 0)
diff --git a/src/dump_custom.cpp b/src/dump_custom.cpp
index b22e9d6eec..8232360d42 100644
--- a/src/dump_custom.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_custom.cpp
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ void DumpCustom::init_style()
     ++icol;
   }
   columns = utils::strdup(combined);
-  
+
   // format = copy of default or user-specified line format
 
   delete[] format;