diff --git a/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Make/files b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Make/files
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d20def6640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Make/files
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Test-coordinateSystem.C
+
+EXE = $(FOAM_USER_APPBIN)/Test-coordinateSystem
diff --git a/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Make/options b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Make/options
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..54c035b8f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Make/options
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+EXE_INC = \
+    -I$(LIB_SRC)/meshTools/lnInclude
+
+EXE_LIBS = \
+    -lmeshTools
diff --git a/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Test-coordinateSystem.C b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Test-coordinateSystem.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3f68919a52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/Test-coordinateSystem.C
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2018 OpenCFD Ltd.
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Application
+    Test-coordinateSystem
+
+Description
+    Expand coordinate system definitions
+
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#include "argList.H"
+#include "coordinateSystem.H"
+#include "Fstream.H"
+#include "IOstreams.H"
+
+using namespace Foam;
+
+void doTest(const dictionary& dict)
+{
+    Info<< dict.dictName() << dict << nl;
+
+    // Could fail?
+    const bool throwingIOError = FatalIOError.throwExceptions();
+    const bool throwingError = FatalError.throwExceptions();
+    try
+    {
+        coordinateSystem cs1(dict.dictName(), dict);
+
+        coordinateSystem cs2;
+
+        // Move assign
+        cs2 = std::move(cs1);
+
+        // Info<<cs2 << nl;
+        cs2.writeDict(Info, true);
+        Info<< nl;
+    }
+    catch (Foam::IOerror& err)
+    {
+        Info<< "Caught FatalIOError " << err << nl << endl;
+    }
+    catch (Foam::error& err)
+    {
+        Info<< "Caught FatalError " << err << nl << endl;
+    }
+    FatalError.throwExceptions(throwingError);
+    FatalIOError.throwExceptions(throwingIOError);
+}
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+//  Main program:
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    argList::noParallel();
+    argList::addArgument("dict .. dictN");
+    argList args(argc, argv, false, true);
+
+    if (args.size() <= 1)
+    {
+        Info<<"no coordinateSystem dictionaries to expand" << nl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        for (label argi=1; argi < args.size(); ++argi)
+        {
+            const string& dictFile = args[argi];
+            IFstream is(dictFile);
+
+            dictionary inputDict(is);
+
+            forAllConstIters(inputDict, iter)
+            {
+                if (iter().isDict())
+                {
+                    doTest(iter().dict());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/applications/test/coordinateSystem/testDict1 b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/testDict1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8cfb8e9805
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/coordinateSystem/testDict1
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+/*--------------------------------*- C++ -*----------------------------------*\
+| =========                 |                                                 |
+| \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox           |
+|  \\    /   O peration     | Version:  plus                                  |
+|   \\  /    A nd           | Web:      www.OpenFOAM.com                      |
+|    \\/     M anipulation  |                                                 |
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+FoamFile
+{
+    version     2.0;
+    format      ascii;
+    class       dictionary;
+    object      testDict;
+}
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+// Rotate 90 deg around x: y -> z, z -> -y
+
+rot_x90_axesRotation
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    axesRotation;
+        e1      (1 0 0);
+        e3      (0 -1 0);
+    }
+}
+
+rot_x90_euler
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    EulerRotation;
+        rotation (0 90 0);      // z-x'-z''
+    }
+}
+
+
+// Rotate 45 deg around z: x -> (1 1 0), y = (-1 1 0)
+
+rot_z45_axesRotation
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    axesRotation;
+        e1      (1 1 0);
+        e3      (0 0 1);
+    }
+}
+
+rot_z45_euler
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    EulerRotation;
+        rotation (45 0 0);      // z-x'-z''
+    }
+}
+
+
+// Rotate -45 deg around z: x -> (1 -1 0), y = (1 1 0)
+rot_zm45_axesRotation
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    axesRotation;
+        e1      (1 -1 0);
+        e3      (0 0 1);
+    }
+}
+
+rot_zm45_euler
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    EulerRotation;
+        rotation (-45 0 0);      // z-x'-z''
+    }
+}
+
+
+// Null transforms
+
+null_axesRotation
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    axesRotation;
+        e1      (1 0 0);
+        e3      (0 0 1);
+    }
+}
+
+null_euler
+{
+    origin  (0 0 0);
+    coordinateRotation
+    {
+        type    EulerRotation;
+        rotation (0 0 0);      // z-x'-z''
+    }
+}
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
diff --git a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateRotation/coordinateRotationNew.C b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateRotation/coordinateRotationNew.C
index a1e939abad..f9ed1f1e00 100644
--- a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateRotation/coordinateRotationNew.C
+++ b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateRotation/coordinateRotationNew.C
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
     \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
-     \\/     M anipulation  | Copyright (C) 2017 OpenCFD Ltd.
+     \\/     M anipulation  | Copyright (C) 2017-2018 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -34,16 +34,16 @@ Foam::autoPtr<Foam::coordinateRotation> Foam::coordinateRotation::New
     const objectRegistry& obr
 )
 {
-    const word rotType = dict.lookup("type");
+    const word modelType(dict.get<word>("type"));
 
-    auto cstrIter = objectRegistryConstructorTablePtr_->cfind(rotType);
+    auto cstrIter = objectRegistryConstructorTablePtr_->cfind(modelType);
 
     if (!cstrIter.found())
     {
         FatalIOErrorInFunction(dict)
-            << "Unknown coordinateRotation type " << rotType << nl << nl
-            << "Valid coordinateRotation types :" <<  nl
-            << objectRegistryConstructorTablePtr_->sortedToc()
+            << "Unknown coordinateRotation type " << modelType << nl << nl
+            << "Valid types:  "
+            << flatOutput(objectRegistryConstructorTablePtr_->sortedToc())
             << exit(FatalIOError);
     }
 
@@ -56,16 +56,16 @@ Foam::autoPtr<Foam::coordinateRotation> Foam::coordinateRotation::New
     const dictionary& dict
 )
 {
-    const word rotType = dict.lookup("type");
+    const word modelType(dict.get<word>("type"));
 
-    auto cstrIter = dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->cfind(rotType);
+    auto cstrIter = dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->cfind(modelType);
 
     if (!cstrIter.found())
     {
         FatalIOErrorInFunction(dict)
-            << "Unknown coordinateRotation type " << rotType << nl << nl
-            << "Valid coordinateRotation types :" <<  nl
-            << dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->sortedToc()
+            << "Unknown coordinateRotation type " << modelType << nl << nl
+            << "Valid types:  "
+            << flatOutput(dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->sortedToc())
             << exit(FatalIOError);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.C b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.C
index 86d07138d7..5ec4361974 100644
--- a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.C
+++ b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.C
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ Foam::dictionary Foam::coordinateSystem::dict(bool ignoreType) const
 
     dict.add("name", name_);
 
-    // only write type for derived types
+    // Only write type for derived types
     if (!ignoreType && type() != typeName_())
     {
         dict.add("type", type());
@@ -304,8 +304,6 @@ void Foam::coordinateSystem::transfer(coordinateSystem& cs)
     note_ = std::move(cs.note_);
     origin_ = std::move(cs.origin_);
     R_ = std::move(cs.R_);
-
-    cs.clear();
 }
 
 
@@ -348,7 +346,16 @@ void Foam::coordinateSystem::operator=(const coordinateSystem& cs)
     name_ = cs.name_;
     note_ = cs.note_;
     origin_ = cs.origin_;
-    R_ = cs.R_.clone();
+
+    // Some extra safety
+    if (cs.R_.valid())
+    {
+        R_ = cs.R_.clone();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        R_.reset(new axesRotation(sphericalTensor::I));
+    }
 }
 
 void Foam::coordinateSystem::operator=(coordinateSystem&& cs)
@@ -357,38 +364,27 @@ void Foam::coordinateSystem::operator=(coordinateSystem&& cs)
 }
 
 
-void Foam::coordinateSystem::init(const dictionary& rhs)
+void Foam::coordinateSystem::init(const dictionary& dict)
 {
-    rhs.lookup("origin") >> origin_;
+    dict.lookup("origin") >> origin_;
     note_.clear();
-    rhs.readIfPresent("note", note_);
-    R_ = coordinateRotation::New(rhs.subDict("coordinateRotation"));
+    dict.readIfPresent("note", note_);
+    R_ = coordinateRotation::New(dict.subDict("coordinateRotation"));
 }
 
 
 void Foam::coordinateSystem::init
 (
-    const dictionary& rhs,
+    const dictionary& dict,
     const objectRegistry& obr
 )
 {
-    if (debug)
-    {
-        Pout<< "coordinateSystem::operator="
-                "("
-                    "const dictionary&, "
-                    "const objectRegistry&"
-                ") : "
-            << "assign from " << rhs << endl;
-    }
-
-    rhs.lookup("origin") >> origin_;
+    dict.lookup("origin") >> origin_;
 
     // The 'note' entry is optional
     note_.clear();
-    rhs.readIfPresent("note", note_);
-
-    R_ = coordinateRotation::New(rhs.subDict("coordinateRotation"), obr);
+    dict.readIfPresent("note", note_);
+    R_ = coordinateRotation::New(dict.subDict("coordinateRotation"), obr);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.H b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.H
index 52ee69f1d3..d47608b392 100644
--- a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.H
+++ b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystem.H
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ SourceFiles
 namespace Foam
 {
 
-// Forward declaration of friend functions and operators
+// Forward declarations
 
 class coordinateSystem;
 
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ class coordinateSystem
         //- Origin
         point origin_;
 
-        //- Local-to-Global transformation tensor
+        //- Local-to-Global transformation tensor.
+        //  May be invalid after a move assignment or transfer
         autoPtr<coordinateRotation> R_;
 
 
@@ -110,11 +111,11 @@ protected:
     // Protected Member Functions
 
         //- Convert from local coordinate system to the global Cartesian system
-        //  with optional translation for the origin
+        //- with optional translation for the origin
         virtual vector localToGlobal(const vector&, bool translate) const;
 
         //- Convert from local coordinate system to the global Cartesian system
-        //  with optional translation for the origin
+        //- with optional translation for the origin
         virtual tmp<vectorField> localToGlobal
         (
             const vectorField&,
@@ -122,11 +123,11 @@ protected:
         ) const;
 
         //- Convert from global Cartesian system to the local coordinate system
-        //  with optional translation for the origin
+        //- with optional translation for the origin
         virtual vector globalToLocal(const vector&, bool translate) const;
 
         //- Convert from global Cartesian system to the local coordinate system
-        //  with optional translation for the origin
+        //- with optional translation for the origin
         virtual tmp<vectorField> globalToLocal
         (
             const vectorField&,
@@ -134,10 +135,10 @@ protected:
         ) const;
 
         //- Init from dict and obr
-        void init(const dictionary&);
+        void init(const dictionary& dict);
 
         //- Init from dictionary
-        void init(const dictionary&, const objectRegistry&);
+        void init(const dictionary& dict, const objectRegistry& obr);
 
 
 public:
@@ -182,18 +183,18 @@ public:
         );
 
         //- Construct from dictionary with a given name
-        coordinateSystem(const word& name, const dictionary&);
+        coordinateSystem(const word& name, const dictionary& dict);
 
         //- Construct from dictionary with default name
-        coordinateSystem(const dictionary&);
+        explicit coordinateSystem(const dictionary& dict);
 
         //- Construct from dictionary (default name)
         //  With the ability to reference global coordinateSystems
-        coordinateSystem(const objectRegistry&, const dictionary&);
+        coordinateSystem(const objectRegistry& obr, const dictionary& dict);
 
         //- Construct from Istream
         //  The Istream contains a word followed by a dictionary
-        coordinateSystem(Istream&);
+        coordinateSystem(Istream& is);
 
 
     //- Return clone
@@ -322,10 +323,10 @@ public:
         // Write
 
             //- Write
-            virtual void write(Ostream&) const;
+            virtual void write(Ostream& os) const;
 
             //- Write dictionary
-            void writeDict(Ostream&, bool subDict=true) const;
+            void writeDict(Ostream& os, bool subDict=true) const;
 
 
         // Transformations
@@ -396,7 +397,7 @@ public:
         void operator=(coordinateSystem&& cs);
 
 
-        // friend Operators
+        // Friend Operators
 
             friend bool operator!=
             (
@@ -407,7 +408,11 @@ public:
 
         // IOstream Operators
 
-            friend Ostream& operator<<(Ostream&, const coordinateSystem&);
+            friend Ostream& operator<<
+            (
+                Ostream& os,
+                const coordinateSystem& cs
+            );
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystemNew.C b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystemNew.C
index bb4c5e9138..9f0fd18866 100644
--- a/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystemNew.C
+++ b/src/meshTools/coordinateSystems/coordinateSystemNew.C
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ Foam::autoPtr<Foam::coordinateSystem> Foam::coordinateSystem::New
 )
 {
     const dictionary& coordDict = dict.subDict(typeName_());
-    const word coordType = coordDict.lookup("type");
+    const word modelType(coordDict.get<word>("type"));
 
-    auto cstrIter = dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->cfind(coordType);
+    auto cstrIter = dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->cfind(modelType);
 
     if (!cstrIter.found())
     {
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ Foam::autoPtr<Foam::coordinateSystem> Foam::coordinateSystem::New
         (
             dict
         )   << "Unknown coordinateSystem type "
-            << coordType << nl << nl
-            << "Valid coordinateSystem types :" << nl
-            << dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->sortedToc()
+            << modelType << nl << nl
+            << "Valid types:  "
+            << flatOutput(dictionaryConstructorTablePtr_->sortedToc())
             << exit(FatalIOError);
     }