diff --git a/src/lammps.cpp b/src/lammps.cpp
index 326a3229cd..8230b8ece8 100644
--- a/src/lammps.cpp
+++ b/src/lammps.cpp
@@ -599,6 +599,8 @@ LAMMPS::~LAMMPS()
 
 void LAMMPS::create()
 {
+  force = NULL;         // Domain->Lattice checks if Force exists
+
   // Comm class must be created before Atom class
   // so that nthreads is defined when create_avec invokes grow()