diff --git a/src/core/Action.cpp b/src/core/Action.cpp
index 813d5b8730347eae93b765779ff38b61e7efd3d9..0b8d0acaa86f2d40f3a2c69208e6cdaf41f4f27a 100644
--- a/src/core/Action.cpp
+++ b/src/core/Action.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ void Action::activate(){
     this->unlockRequests();
     prepare();
     this->lockRequests();
-  }
+  } else return;
   for(Dependencies::iterator p=after.begin();p!=after.end();++p) (*p)->activate();
   active=true;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp b/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp
index ea6c9ce7ffa1756f2f5c464a074793ed1e05ec24..19bc88fb4788419d5ec31cabc50b8f629977296f 100644
--- a/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp
+++ b/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp
@@ -578,7 +578,8 @@ void PlumedMain::prepareDependencies(){
 // First switch off all actions
   for(ActionSet::iterator p=actionSet.begin();p!=actionSet.end();++p){
      (*p)->deactivate();
-     (*p)->clearOptions();
+     //I think this is already done inside deactivate
+     //(*p)->clearOptions();
   }
 
 // for optimization, an "active" flag remains false if no action at all is active