diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.C
index 611dd5a923..6fba693043 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.C
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ Foam::regIOobject::~regIOobject()
     if (isPtr_)
     {
         delete isPtr_;
+        isPtr_ = NULL;
     }
 
     // Check out of objectRegistry if not owned by the registry
@@ -120,47 +121,47 @@ Foam::regIOobject::~regIOobject()
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Member Functions  * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
-void Foam::regIOobject::checkIn()
+bool Foam::regIOobject::checkIn()
 {
     if (!registered_)
     {
-        // Attempt to register object with objectRegistry
-        if (!db().checkIn(*this))
+        // multiple checkin of same object is disallowed - this would mess up
+        // any mapping
+        registered_ = db().checkIn(*this);
+
+        // checkin on defaultRegion is allowed to fail, since subsetted meshes
+        // are created with the same name as their originating mesh
+        if (!registered_ && debug && name() != polyMesh::defaultRegion)
         {
-            // Disallow checkin of same object twice since would mess up
-            // any mapping.
-            // Check on defaultRegion is needed to prevent subsetted meshes
-            // (which are created with same name as their originating mesh)
-            // from upsetting this.
-            if (debug && name() != polyMesh::defaultRegion)
-            {
-                WarningIn("regIOobject::checkIn()")
-                    << "failed to register object " << objectPath()
+            WarningIn("regIOobject::checkIn()")
+                << "failed to register object " << objectPath()
                     << " the name already exists in the objectRegistry"
-                    << endl;
-            }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            registered_ = true;
+                << endl;
         }
     }
+
+    return registered_;
 }
 
 
-void Foam::regIOobject::checkOut()
+bool Foam::regIOobject::checkOut()
 {
     if (registered_)
     {
-        db().checkOut(*this);
         registered_ = false;
+        return db().checkOut(*this);
     }
+
+    return false;
 }
 
 
 // Rename object and re-register with objectRegistry under new name
 void Foam::regIOobject::rename(const word& newName)
 {
+    // TODO: verify that this works properly with unregistered objects
+    // I suspect that it incorrectly registers them
+
     // Check out of objectRegistry
     checkOut();
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.H
index 80829fa864..6b50fd7842 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobject.H
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace Foam
 {
 
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
-                           Class regIOobject Declaration
+                         Class regIOobject Declaration
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 class regIOobject
@@ -115,13 +115,13 @@ public:
 
         // Registration
 
-            //- Register object with registry
-            void checkIn();
+            //- Add object to registry
+            bool checkIn();
 
-            //- Check-out object from registry
-            void checkOut();
+            //- Remove object from registry
+            bool checkOut();
 
-            //- Is this object owned by the registry
+            //- Is this object owned by the registry?
             inline bool ownedByRegistry() const;
 
             //- Transfer ownership of this object to its registry
@@ -130,12 +130,12 @@ public:
             //- Transfer ownership of the given object pointer to its registry
             //  and return reference to object.
             template<class Type>
-            inline static Type& store(Type* tPtr);
+            inline static Type& store(Type*);
 
             //- Transfer ownership of the given object pointer to its registry
             //  and return reference to object.
             template<class Type>
-            inline static Type& store(autoPtr<Type>& atPtr);
+            inline static Type& store(autoPtr<Type>&);
 
             //- Release ownership of this object from its registry
             inline void release();
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ public:
             //- Write using given format, version and compression
             virtual bool writeObject
             (
-                IOstream::streamFormat fmt,
-                IOstream::versionNumber ver,
-                IOstream::compressionType cmp
+                IOstream::streamFormat,
+                IOstream::versionNumber,
+                IOstream::compressionType
             ) const;
 
             //- Write using setting from DB
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectI.H b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectI.H
index cef96647f7..467127e0aa 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectI.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectI.H
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ inline Type& Foam::regIOobject::store(Type* tPtr)
 {
     if (!tPtr)
     {
-        FatalErrorIn("Type& store(Type*)")
+        FatalErrorIn("Type& regIOobject::store(Type*)")
             << "object deallocated"
             << abort(FatalError);
     }
@@ -63,13 +63,13 @@ inline Type& Foam::regIOobject::store(autoPtr<Type>& atPtr)
     {
         FatalErrorIn
             (
-                "Type& store(autoPtr<Type>&)"
+                "Type& regIOobject::store(autoPtr<Type>&)"
             )   << "object deallocated"
                 << abort(FatalError);
     }
 
     tPtr->regIOobject::ownedByRegistry_ = true;
-    
+
     return *tPtr;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectWrite.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectWrite.C
index 1ca027b247..6eef1b8aff 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectWrite.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/regIOobject/regIOobjectWrite.C
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ bool regIOobject::writeObject
         // Try opening an OFstream for object
         OFstream os(objectPath(), fmt, ver, cmp);
 
-        // If this has failed, return (leave error handling to Ostream class)
+        // If any of these fail, return (leave error handling to Ostream class)
         if (!os.good())
         {
             return false;
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ bool regIOobject::writeObject
             return false;
         }
 
-        os  << "\n\n// ************************************************************************* //"
+        os  << "\n\n"
+            "// ************************************************************************* //"
             << endl;
 
         osGood = os.good();