diff --git a/doc/src/special_bonds.txt b/doc/src/special_bonds.txt
index 283aad6c2d326b77111ffc94fc01d9bfde888249..e90535e65fa105517353af3ce593da6580b823bc 100644
--- a/doc/src/special_bonds.txt
+++ b/doc/src/special_bonds.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ special_bonds command :h3
 special_bonds keyword values ... :pre
 
 one or more keyword/value pairs may be appended :ulb,l
-keyword = {amber} or {charmm} or {dreiding} or {fene} or {lj/coul} or {lj} or {coul} or {angle} or {dihedral} or {extra} :l
+keyword = {amber} or {charmm} or {dreiding} or {fene} or {lj/coul} or {lj} or {coul} or {angle} or {dihedral} :l
   {amber} values = none
   {charmm} values = none
   {dreiding} values = none
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ each time the command is issued.
 [Default:]
 
 All 3 Lennard-Jones and 3 Coulombic weighting coefficients = 0.0,
-angle = no, dihedral = no, and extra = 0.
+angle = no, dihedral = no.
 
 :line
 
diff --git a/src/read_restart.cpp b/src/read_restart.cpp
index 9be035e1a1ec1ab18ad869eaf21efe2f8f147038..252c48d251ec8aefb414779752c6699e21d539ec 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,EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM,ATOM_MAXSPECIAL};
 
 #define LB_FACTOR 1.1
 
@@ -926,6 +926,8 @@ void ReadRestart::header(int incompatible)
       atom->extra_improper_per_atom = read_int();
     } else if (flag == EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM) {
       force->special_extra = read_int();
+    } else if (flag == ATOM_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..e0e17cd2928c149ca610802d691cd53d3ea91ba6 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,EXTRA_SPECIAL_PER_ATOM,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(ATOM_MAXSPECIAL,atom->maxspecial);
 
   // -1 flag signals end of header