diff --git a/src/write_dump.cpp b/src/write_dump.cpp
index 31fca773e..dcf6c05a1 100644
--- a/src/write_dump.cpp
+++ b/src/write_dump.cpp
@@ -1,89 +1,90 @@
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    LAMMPS - Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator
    http://lammps.sandia.gov, Sandia National Laboratories
    Steve Plimpton, sjplimp@sandia.gov
 
    Copyright (2003) Sandia Corporation.  Under the terms of Contract
    DE-AC04-94AL85000 with Sandia Corporation, the U.S. Government retains
    certain rights in this software.  This software is distributed under
    the GNU General Public License.
 
    See the README file in the top-level LAMMPS directory.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Contributing author:  Axel Kohlmeyer (Temple U)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include "write_dump.h"
 #include "style_dump.h"
 #include "dump.h"
 #include "dump_image.h"
 #include "atom.h"
+#include "comm.h"
 #include "group.h"
 #include "input.h"
 #include "update.h"
 #include "error.h"
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 void WriteDump::command(int narg, char **arg)
 {
   if (narg < 3) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal write_dump command");
 
   // modindex = index in args of "modify" keyword
   // will be narg if "modify" is not present
 
   int modindex;
   for (modindex = 0; modindex < narg; modindex++)
     if (strcmp(arg[modindex],"modify") == 0) break;
 
   // create the Dump instance
   // create dump command line with extra required args
 
   Dump *dump;
 
   char **dumpargs = new char*[modindex+2];
   dumpargs[0] = (char *) "WRITE_DUMP"; // dump id
   dumpargs[1] = arg[0];                // group
   dumpargs[2] = arg[1];                // dump style
   dumpargs[3] = (char *) "1";          // dump frequency
 
   for (int i = 2; i < modindex; ++i)
     dumpargs[i+2] = arg[i];
 
   if (0) return;         // dummy line to enable else-if macro expansion
 
 #define DUMP_CLASS
 #define DumpStyle(key,Class) \
   else if (strcmp(arg[1],#key) == 0) dump = new Class(lmp,modindex+2,dumpargs);
 #include "style_dump.h"
 #undef DUMP_CLASS
 
   else error->all(FLERR,"Unknown dump style");
 
   if (modindex < narg) dump->modify_params(narg-modindex-1,&arg[modindex+1]);
 
   // write out one frame and then delete the dump again
   // set multifile_override for DumpImage so that filename needs no "*"
 
   if (strcmp(arg[1],"image") == 0)
     ((DumpImage *) dump)->multifile_override = 1;
 
   if (strcmp(arg[1],"cfg") == 0)
     ((DumpCFG *) dump)->multifile_override = 1;
 
-  if (update->first_update == 0)
+  if ((update->first_update == 0) && (comm->me == 0))
     error->warning(FLERR,"Calling write_dump before a full system init.");
 
   dump->init();
   dump->write();
 
   // delete the Dump instance and local storage
 
   delete dump;
   delete [] dumpargs;
 }