diff --git a/src/read_restart.cpp b/src/read_restart.cpp
index 9be035e1a1ec1ab18ad869eaf21efe2f8f147038..a57831a5b293c915ed10e0ae66a0984166f25480 100644
--- a/src/read_restart.cpp
+++ b/src/read_restart.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ enum{VERSION,SMALLINT,TAGINT,BIGINT,
      ATOM_ID,ATOM_MAP_STYLE,ATOM_MAP_USER,ATOM_SORTFREQ,ATOM_SORTBIN,
      COMM_MODE,COMM_CUTOFF,COMM_VEL,NO_PAIR,
      EXTRA_BOND_PER_ATOM,EXTRA_ANGLE_PER_ATOM,EXTRA_DIHEDRAL_PER_ATOM,
-     EXTRA_IMPROPER_PER_ATOM,EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM};
+     EXTRA_IMPROPER_PER_ATOM,MAXSPECIAL};
 
 #define LB_FACTOR 1.1
 
@@ -924,8 +924,8 @@ void ReadRestart::header(int incompatible)
       atom->extra_dihedral_per_atom = read_int();
     } else if (flag == EXTRA_IMPROPER_PER_ATOM) {
       atom->extra_improper_per_atom = read_int();
-    } else if (flag == EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM) {
-      force->special_extra = read_int();
+    } else if (flag == MAXSPECIAL) {
+      atom->maxspecial = read_int();
 
     } else error->all(FLERR,"Invalid flag in header section of restart file");
 
diff --git a/src/write_restart.cpp b/src/write_restart.cpp
index edb6dfa7e8a4171fd5304ab9371e89362fddbbcb..6e01ab2997d13500132bf5267a4ed2ea5340385d 100644
--- a/src/write_restart.cpp
+++ b/src/write_restart.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ enum{VERSION,SMALLINT,TAGINT,BIGINT,
      ATOM_ID,ATOM_MAP_STYLE,ATOM_MAP_USER,ATOM_SORTFREQ,ATOM_SORTBIN,
      COMM_MODE,COMM_CUTOFF,COMM_VEL,NO_PAIR,
      EXTRA_BOND_PER_ATOM,EXTRA_ANGLE_PER_ATOM,EXTRA_DIHEDRAL_PER_ATOM,
-     EXTRA_IMPROPER_PER_ATOM,EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM};
+     EXTRA_IMPROPER_PER_ATOM,MAXSPECIAL};
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ void WriteRestart::header()
   write_int(EXTRA_ANGLE_PER_ATOM,atom->extra_angle_per_atom);
   write_int(EXTRA_DIHEDRAL_PER_ATOM,atom->extra_dihedral_per_atom);
   write_int(EXTRA_IMPROPER_PER_ATOM,atom->extra_improper_per_atom);
-  write_int(EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM,force->special_extra);
+  write_int(MAXSPECIAL,atom->maxspecial);
 
   // -1 flag signals end of header