diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 55d22a7758ae1ba3444acd968c65790c500bd2de..5aaa878334355ebf7894b97059bda7ad62956f4c 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ matrix:
   - os: linux
     dist: trusty
     sudo: required
-    env: CPPCHECK=yes CPPCHECK_VERSION=1.77
+    env: CPPCHECK=yes CPPCHECK_VERSION=1.78
 # then check with different optimization flags
   - os: linux
     dist: trusty
diff --git a/CHANGES/v2.3.txt b/CHANGES/v2.3.txt
index d3229aa7e5dcb19fb836461f4fe6521dede47c90..a612e95c2d933d959d9864e4c9d4051f980e2746 100644
--- a/CHANGES/v2.3.txt
+++ b/CHANGES/v2.3.txt
@@ -151,12 +151,13 @@ See branch \branch{v2.3} on git repository.
   with a package manager such as MacPorts.
 - Resolved problem with nan in \ref SMAC with SPECIESA and SPECIESB involving molecules that are the same
 - PDB reader is now able to read files with dos newlines (see \issue{223}).
-- fix a bug in \ref CS2BACKBONE (v2.3.1) related to ring currents of HIS and TRP
+- Fixed bug in \ref CS2BACKBONE (v2.3.1) related to ring currents of HIS and TRP
 - Fixed bug in if condition in \ref PCAVARS so that you can run with only one eigenvector defined in input 
-- Fixed but with timers in \ref sum_hills \issue{194}.
+- Fixed bug with timers in \ref sum_hills \issue{194}.
 - Fixed bug when using \ref MOVINGRESTRAINT with periodic variables such as \ref TORSION \issue{225}.
 - Fixed bug in \ref HBONDS that used to apear when you used DONORNS and ACCEPTORS with same numbers of atoms 
 - Fixed bug in \ref DISTANCES that appears when using BETWEEN and link cells.
+- Prevented users from causing segfaults by storing derivatives without LOWMEM flag.  In these caess PLUMED crashes with meaningful errors.
 
 For developers:
 - plumedcheck validation has been made stricter. All the checks are now described in the developer manual.
diff --git a/src/tools/IFile.cpp b/src/tools/IFile.cpp
index 6518eeb2463309c1a8b4bd380cafb49526a4fa12..c1334fb5cf2422242459a93dd41e6c7fbac727f4 100644
--- a/src/tools/IFile.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/IFile.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "Tools.h"
 #include <cstdarg>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <cmath>
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
@@ -162,7 +163,8 @@ IFile& IFile::scanField(const std::string&name,int &x){
 }
 
 IFile& IFile::scanField(Value* val){
-  double ff; scanField(  val->getName(), ff );
+  double ff=NAN; // this is to be sure a NAN value is replaced upon failure
+  scanField(  val->getName(), ff );
   val->set( ff );
   if( FieldExist("min_" + val->getName() ) ){ 
       std::string min, max;
diff --git a/src/vesselbase/StoreDataVessel.cpp b/src/vesselbase/StoreDataVessel.cpp
index 76122a5f65fa061b1700692b64ffbd6008f4a24d..13f4c9ab6f88ccd77b2d9ac5c3b0382b76b9163a 100644
--- a/src/vesselbase/StoreDataVessel.cpp
+++ b/src/vesselbase/StoreDataVessel.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ void StoreDataVessel::resize(){
      nspace = 1;
      active_der.resize( max_lowmem_stash * ( 1 + getAction()->getNumberOfDerivatives() ) );
   } else {
+     if( getAction()->getNumberOfDerivatives()>getAction()->maxderivatives ){
+          error("not enough memory to store derivatives for action " + getAction()->getLabel() + " use LOWMEM option");
+     }
      nspace = 1 + getAction()->maxderivatives;
      active_der.resize( getNumberOfStoredValues() * ( 1 + getAction()->maxderivatives ) );
   }