diff --git a/src/info.cpp b/src/info.cpp
index dfd901fc35..22cb432acc 100644
--- a/src/info.cpp
+++ b/src/info.cpp
@@ -735,10 +735,11 @@ void Info::dump_styles(FILE * out)
   fprintf(out, "\nDump styles:\n");
 
   vector<string> styles;
-#define DUMP_CLASS
-#define DumpStyle(key,Class) styles.push_back(#key);
-#include "style_dump.h"
-#undef DUMP_CLASS
+
+  for(Output::DumpCreatorMap::iterator it = output->dump_map->begin(); it != output->dump_map->end(); ++it) {
+    styles.push_back(it->first);
+  }
+
   print_columns(out, styles);
   fprintf(out, "\n\n\n");
 }
diff --git a/src/output.cpp b/src/output.cpp
index 073171735f..df7c33e101 100644
--- a/src/output.cpp
+++ b/src/output.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@ Output::Output(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pointers(lmp)
   restart1 = restart2a = restart2b = NULL;
   var_restart_single = var_restart_double = NULL;
   restart = NULL;
+
+  dump_map = new DumpCreatorMap();
+
+#define DUMP_CLASS
+#define DumpStyle(key,Class) \
+  (*dump_map)[#key] = &dump_creator<Class>;
+#include "style_dump.h"
+#undef DumpStyle
+#undef DUMP_CLASS
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -115,6 +124,8 @@ Output::~Output()
   delete [] var_restart_single;
   delete [] var_restart_double;
   delete restart;
+
+  delete dump_map;
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -571,14 +582,10 @@ void Output::add_dump(int narg, char **arg)
 
   // create the Dump
 
-  if (0) return;         // dummy line to enable else-if macro expansion
-
-#define DUMP_CLASS
-#define DumpStyle(key,Class) \
-  else if (strcmp(arg[2],#key) == 0) dump[ndump] = new Class(lmp,narg,arg);
-#include "style_dump.h"
-#undef DUMP_CLASS
-
+  if (dump_map->find(arg[2]) != dump_map->end()) {
+    DumpCreator dump_creator = (*dump_map)[arg[2]];
+    dump[ndump] = dump_creator(lmp, narg, arg);
+  }
   else error->all(FLERR,"Unknown dump style");
 
   every_dump[ndump] = force->inumeric(FLERR,arg[3]);
@@ -588,6 +595,16 @@ void Output::add_dump(int narg, char **arg)
   ndump++;
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   one instance per dump style in style_dump.h
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+template <typename T>
+Dump *Output::dump_creator(LAMMPS *lmp, int narg, char ** arg)
+{
+  return new T(lmp, narg, arg);
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    modify parameters of a Dump
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/output.h b/src/output.h
index 6bbd92a259..cc282cbedd 100644
--- a/src/output.h
+++ b/src/output.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #define LMP_OUTPUT_H
 
 #include "pointers.h"
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
 
 namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 
@@ -57,6 +59,11 @@ class Output : protected Pointers {
   char *restart2a,*restart2b;  // names of double restart files
   class WriteRestart *restart; // class for writing restart files
 
+
+  typedef Dump *(*DumpCreator)(LAMMPS *,int,char**);
+  typedef std::map<std::string,DumpCreator> DumpCreatorMap;
+  DumpCreatorMap *dump_map;
+
   Output(class LAMMPS *);
   ~Output();
   void init();
@@ -75,6 +82,9 @@ class Output : protected Pointers {
   void create_restart(int, char **); // create Restart and restart files
 
   void memory_usage();               // print out memory usage
+
+ private:
+  template <typename T> static Dump *dump_creator(LAMMPS *, int, char **);
 };
 
 }