diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff.cpp
index 062eed3f999f01237b7a4702e59a50a87ee27f68..9f976281c866ef7018e308c019d2d56427ace37e 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff.cpp
@@ -507,14 +507,20 @@ void PairTersoff::read_file(char *file)
 
     params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
 
-    if (params[nparams].c < 0.0 || params[nparams].d < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].powern < 0.0 || params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
+    if (params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].d < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
-        params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
-        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
+        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 &&
+         params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
         params[nparams].gamma < 0.0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Illegal Tersoff parameter");
 
diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod.cpp
index e554a58fc2d04c037807c5b51823d9ad5ace64db..e810130dbabb425e8ee5f35a435ad7ee7804c168 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod.cpp
@@ -162,19 +162,23 @@ void PairTersoffMOD::read_file(char *file)
     params[nparams].c4 = atof(words[18]);
     params[nparams].c5 = atof(words[19]);
 
-    // currently only allow m exponent of 1
+    // currently only allow m exponent of 1 or 3
 
     params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
 
-    if (
-	params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].beta < 0.0 || params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
-                               params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
-	params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
-    (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1))
+    if (params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
+        params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
+        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 &&
+         params[nparams].powermint != 1)
+        )
       error->all(FLERR,"Illegal Tersoff parameter");
 
     nparams++;
diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod_c.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod_c.cpp
index 712e0482a851939a490c7ed2ac6167f8bdd9d9f5..0edf2ddef98a6141d5149d4045453a0550f1dc16 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod_c.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod_c.cpp
@@ -158,19 +158,24 @@ void PairTersoffMODC::read_file(char *file)
     params[nparams].c5 = atof(words[19]);
     params[nparams].c0 = atof(words[20]);
 
-    // currently only allow m exponent of 1
+    // currently only allow m exponent of 1 or 3
 
     params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
 
     if (
-	params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].beta < 0.0 || params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
-                               params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
-	params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
-	params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
-    (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1))
+      params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
+      params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
+      params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
+      (params[nparams].powermint != 3 &&
+       params[nparams].powermint != 1)
+      )
       error->all(FLERR,"Illegal Tersoff parameter");
 
     nparams++;
diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp
index b900283ca34a0c609d06aa29cdeb14b6ea1cfdf5..15163c2bf9843607dde1f65d8e78d0abdef78957 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.cpp
@@ -184,19 +184,25 @@ void PairTersoffZBL::read_file(char *file)
 
     params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
 
-    if (
-        params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].d < 0.0 || params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 || params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
+    if (params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].d < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
-        params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
-        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
+        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 &&
+         params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
         params[nparams].gamma < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].Z_i < 1.0 || params[nparams].Z_j < 1.0 ||
-        params[nparams].ZBLcut < 0.0 || params[nparams].ZBLexpscale < 0.0)
+        params[nparams].Z_i < 1.0 ||
+        params[nparams].Z_j < 1.0 ||
+        params[nparams].ZBLcut < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].ZBLexpscale < 0.0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Illegal Tersoff parameter");
 
     nparams++;
diff --git a/src/USER-MISC/pair_tersoff_table.cpp b/src/USER-MISC/pair_tersoff_table.cpp
index 536730322a769ca2cf6c8bf3fcf840e15180011c..0afb963402c054382877fd98607bd7ee2eed0069 100644
--- a/src/USER-MISC/pair_tersoff_table.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-MISC/pair_tersoff_table.cpp
@@ -939,8 +939,10 @@ void PairTersoffTable::read_file(char *file)
     params[nparams].beta = atof(words[10]);
     params[nparams].lam2 = atof(words[11]);
     params[nparams].bigb = atof(words[12]);
+
     // current implementation is based on functional form
     // of tersoff_2 as reported in the reference paper
+
     double bigr = atof(words[13]);
     double bigd = atof(words[14]);
     params[nparams].cutoffR = bigr - bigd;
@@ -948,15 +950,17 @@ void PairTersoffTable::read_file(char *file)
     params[nparams].lam1 = atof(words[15]);
     params[nparams].biga = atof(words[16]);
 
-    // currently only allow m exponent of 1 or 3
-    params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
-
-    if (params[nparams].c < 0.0 || params[nparams].d < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].powern < 0.0 || params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].cutoffR < 0.0 ||params[nparams].cutoffS < 0.0 ||
+    if (params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].d < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].cutoffR < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].cutoffS < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].cutoffR > params[nparams].cutoffS ||
-        params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0
+        params[nparams].lam1 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].biga < 0.0
     ) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal Tersoff parameter");
 
     // only tersoff_2 parametrization is implemented
diff --git a/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp b/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp
index f5c08741ce44ba59dab6b9dbfe6c20ab938f64c4..f53778d1a13fe7d46b1fcfd7659cdc0e52fc1e83 100644
--- a/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-OMP/pair_tersoff_zbl_omp.cpp
@@ -205,18 +205,24 @@ void PairTersoffZBLOMP::read_file(char *file)
     params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
 
     if (
-        params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].d < 0.0 || params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 || params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].d < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
-        params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
         params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
-        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
+        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 &&
+         params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
         params[nparams].gamma < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].Z_i < 1.0 || params[nparams].Z_j < 1.0 ||
-        params[nparams].ZBLcut < 0.0 || params[nparams].ZBLexpscale < 0.0)
+        params[nparams].Z_i < 1.0 ||
+        params[nparams].Z_j < 1.0 ||
+        params[nparams].ZBLcut < 0.0 ||
+        params[nparams].ZBLexpscale < 0.0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Illegal Tersoff parameter");
 
     nparams++;