diff --git a/code/damage_anisoBrittle.f90 b/code/damage_anisoBrittle.f90
index 59c4633c1..5fd350a5e 100644
--- a/code/damage_anisoBrittle.f90
+++ b/code/damage_anisoBrittle.f90
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ subroutine damage_anisoBrittle_init(fileUnit)
    worldrank, &
    numerics_integrator
  use lattice, only: &
-   lattice_maxNcleavageFamily
+   lattice_maxNcleavageFamily, &
+   lattice_NcleavageSystem
 
  implicit none
  integer(pInt), intent(in) :: fileUnit
@@ -199,7 +200,6 @@ subroutine damage_anisoBrittle_init(fileUnit)
          do j = 1_pInt, Nchunks_CleavageFamilies
            damage_anisoBrittle_Ncleavage(j,instance) = IO_intValue(line,positions,1_pInt+j)
          enddo
-         damage_anisoBrittle_totalNcleavage(instance) = sum(damage_anisoBrittle_Ncleavage(:,instance))
 
        case ('critical_displacement')
          do j = 1_pInt, Nchunks_CleavageFamilies
@@ -214,6 +214,30 @@ subroutine damage_anisoBrittle_init(fileUnit)
      end select
    endif; endif
  enddo parsingFile
+
+ sanityChecks: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)   
+   myPhase: if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_anisoBrittle_ID) then
+     NofMyPhase=count(material_phase==phase)
+     instance = phase_damageInstance(phase)
+!  sanity checks
+     damage_anisoBrittle_Ncleavage(1:lattice_maxNcleavageFamily,instance) = &
+       min(lattice_NcleavageSystem(1:lattice_maxNcleavageFamily,phase),&                            ! limit active cleavage systems per family to min of available and requested
+           damage_anisoBrittle_Ncleavage(1:lattice_maxNcleavageFamily,instance))
+     damage_anisoBrittle_totalNcleavage(instance)  = sum(damage_anisoBrittle_Ncleavage(:,instance)) ! how many cleavage systems altogether
+     if (damage_anisoBrittle_aTol_damage(instance) >= 1.0e-3_pReal) &
+       damage_anisoBrittle_aTol_damage(instance) = 1.0e-3_pReal                                     ! default absolute tolerance 1e-3
+     if (damage_anisoBrittle_aTol_disp(instance) >= 1.0e-3_pReal) &
+       damage_anisoBrittle_aTol_disp(instance) = 1.0e-3_pReal                                       ! default absolute tolerance 1e-3
+     if (damage_anisoBrittle_sdot_0(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='sdot_0 ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_anisoBrittle_LABEL//')')
+     if (any(damage_anisoBrittle_critDisp(:,instance) <= 0.0_pReal)) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='critical_displacement ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_anisoBrittle_LABEL//')')
+     if (any(damage_anisoBrittle_critLoad(:,instance) <= 0.0_pReal)) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='critical_load ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_anisoBrittle_LABEL//')')
+     if (damage_anisoBrittle_N(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='rate_sensitivity_damage ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_anisoBrittle_LABEL//')')
+   endif myPhase
+ enddo sanityChecks
  
  initializeInstances: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)
    if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_anisoBrittle_ID) then
diff --git a/code/damage_anisoDuctile.f90 b/code/damage_anisoDuctile.f90
index 815ec47b7..8e04e119b 100644
--- a/code/damage_anisoDuctile.f90
+++ b/code/damage_anisoDuctile.f90
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ subroutine damage_anisoDuctile_init(fileUnit)
    worldrank, &
    numerics_integrator
  use lattice, only: &
-   lattice_maxNslipFamily
+   lattice_maxNslipFamily, &
+   lattice_NslipSystem
 
  implicit none
  integer(pInt), intent(in) :: fileUnit
@@ -183,7 +184,6 @@ subroutine damage_anisoDuctile_init(fileUnit)
          do j = 1_pInt, Nchunks_SlipFamilies
            damage_anisoDuctile_Nslip(j,instance) = IO_intValue(line,positions,1_pInt+j)
          enddo
-         damage_anisoDuctile_totalNslip(instance) = sum(damage_anisoDuctile_Nslip(:,instance))
 
        case ('critical_accshear')
          do j = 1_pInt, Nchunks_SlipFamilies
@@ -193,7 +193,26 @@ subroutine damage_anisoDuctile_init(fileUnit)
      end select
    endif; endif
  enddo parsingFile
- 
+
+ sanityChecks: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)   
+   myPhase: if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_anisoDuctile_ID) then
+     NofMyPhase=count(material_phase==phase)
+     instance = phase_damageInstance(phase)
+!  sanity checks
+     damage_anisoDuctile_Nslip(1:lattice_maxNslipFamily,instance) = &
+       min(lattice_NslipSystem(1:lattice_maxNslipFamily,phase),&                                    ! limit active cleavage systems per family to min of available and requested
+           damage_anisoDuctile_Nslip(1:lattice_maxNslipFamily,instance))
+         damage_anisoDuctile_totalNslip(instance) = sum(damage_anisoDuctile_Nslip(:,instance))
+     if (damage_anisoDuctile_aTol_damage(instance) >= 1.0e-3_pReal) &
+       damage_anisoDuctile_aTol_damage(instance) = 1.0e-3_pReal                                     ! default absolute tolerance 1e-3
+     if (any(damage_anisoDuctile_critAccShear(:,instance) <= 0.0_pReal)) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='critical_accshear ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_anisoDuctile_LABEL//')')
+     if (damage_anisoDuctile_N(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='rate_sensitivity_damage ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_anisoDuctile_LABEL//')')
+   endif myPhase
+ enddo sanityChecks
+  
+
  initializeInstances: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)
    if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_anisoDuctile_ID) then
      NofMyPhase=count(material_phase==phase)
diff --git a/code/damage_isoBrittle.f90 b/code/damage_isoBrittle.f90
index 8da7541a9..e18ed8ca0 100644
--- a/code/damage_isoBrittle.f90
+++ b/code/damage_isoBrittle.f90
@@ -172,12 +172,26 @@ subroutine damage_isoBrittle_init(fileUnit)
      end select
    endif; endif
  enddo parsingFile
- 
+
+
+ sanityChecks: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)   
+   myPhase: if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_isoBrittle_ID) then
+     NofMyPhase=count(material_phase==phase)
+     instance = phase_damageInstance(phase)
+!  sanity checks
+     if (damage_isoBrittle_aTol(instance) >= 1.0e-3_pReal) &
+       damage_isoBrittle_aTol(instance) = 1.0e-3_pReal                                              ! default absolute tolerance 1e-3
+     if (damage_isoBrittle_critStrainEnergy(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='critical_strain_energy ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_isoBrittle_LABEL//')')
+     if (damage_isoBrittle_N(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='rate_sensitivity_damage ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_isoBrittle_LABEL//')')
+   endif myPhase
+ enddo sanityChecks
+
  initializeInstances: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)
    if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_isoBrittle_ID) then
      NofMyPhase=count(material_phase==phase)
      instance = phase_damageInstance(phase)
-
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 !  Determine size of postResults array
      outputsLoop: do o = 1_pInt,damage_isoBrittle_Noutput(instance)
diff --git a/code/damage_isoDuctile.f90 b/code/damage_isoDuctile.f90
index 5b2fe1808..e5ce8155f 100644
--- a/code/damage_isoDuctile.f90
+++ b/code/damage_isoDuctile.f90
@@ -171,6 +171,20 @@ subroutine damage_isoDuctile_init(fileUnit)
      end select
    endif; endif
  enddo parsingFile
+
+ sanityChecks: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)   
+   myPhase: if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_isoDuctile_ID) then
+     NofMyPhase=count(material_phase==phase)
+     instance = phase_damageInstance(phase)
+!  sanity checks
+     if (damage_isoDuctile_aTol(instance) >= 1.0e-3_pReal) &
+       damage_isoDuctile_aTol(instance) = 1.0e-3_pReal                                              ! default absolute tolerance 1e-3
+     if (damage_isoDuctile_critpStrain(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='critical_plastic_strain ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_isoDuctile_LABEL//')')
+     if (damage_isoDuctile_N(instance) <= 0.0_pReal) &
+       call IO_error(211_pInt,el=instance,ext_msg='rate_sensitivity_damage ('//LOCAL_DAMAGE_isoDuctile_LABEL//')')
+   endif myPhase
+ enddo sanityChecks
  
  initializeInstances: do phase = 1_pInt, size(phase_damage)
    if (phase_damage(phase) == LOCAL_damage_isoDuctile_ID) then