diff --git a/PRIVATE b/PRIVATE
index d7f8460aa..42ebe55f0 160000
--- a/PRIVATE
+++ b/PRIVATE
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit d7f8460aa2afceb89f9b82054555d5dc6f9e5c43
+Subproject commit 42ebe55f0ef1cd799115bd87e45d6025db42f7a7
diff --git a/src/lattice.f90 b/src/lattice.f90
index c9b6d99ef..e5f5453d4 100644
--- a/src/lattice.f90
+++ b/src/lattice.f90
@@ -459,7 +459,8 @@ subroutine lattice_init
     phase, &
     mech, &
     elasticity, &
-    thermal
+    thermal, &
+    damage
 
   print'(/,a)', ' <<<+-  lattice init  -+>>>'; flush(IO_STDOUT)
 
@@ -535,13 +536,17 @@ subroutine lattice_init
     endif
 
 
-    lattice_D(1,1,ph) = phase%get_asFloat('D_11',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
-    lattice_D(2,2,ph) = phase%get_asFloat('D_22',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
-    lattice_D(3,3,ph) = phase%get_asFloat('D_33',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
-    lattice_D(1:3,1:3,ph) = lattice_applyLatticeSymmetry33(lattice_D(1:3,1:3,ph), &
+    if (phase%contains('damage')) then
+      damage => phase%get('damage')
+      damage => damage%get(1)
+      lattice_D(1,1,ph) = damage%get_asFloat('D_11',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
+      lattice_D(2,2,ph) = damage%get_asFloat('D_22',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
+      lattice_D(3,3,ph) = damage%get_asFloat('D_33',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
+      lattice_D(1:3,1:3,ph) = lattice_applyLatticeSymmetry33(lattice_D(1:3,1:3,ph), &
                                                           phase%get_asString('lattice'))
 
-    lattice_M(ph) = phase%get_asFloat('M',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
+      lattice_M(ph) = damage%get_asFloat('M',defaultVal=0.0_pReal)
+    endif
     ! SHOULD NOT BE PART OF LATTICE END
 
     call selfTest
diff --git a/src/phase_mechanical_eigen.f90 b/src/phase_mechanical_eigen.f90
index 9eb3c5767..439f2bef9 100644
--- a/src/phase_mechanical_eigen.f90
+++ b/src/phase_mechanical_eigen.f90
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ module subroutine eigendeformation_init(phases)
     kinematics => phase%get('damage',defaultVal=emptyList)
     if(kinematics%length >0) then
       damage => kinematics%get(1)
-      if(damage%get_asString('type') == 'anisobrittle')  phase_Nkinematics(ph) =  phase_Nkinematics(ph) +1
-      if(damage%get_asString('type') == 'isoductile')  phase_Nkinematics(ph) =  phase_Nkinematics(ph) +1
+      if(damage%get_asString('type',defaultVal='n/a') == 'anisobrittle')  phase_Nkinematics(ph) =  phase_Nkinematics(ph) +1
+      if(damage%get_asString('type',defaultVal='n/a') == 'isoductile'  )  phase_Nkinematics(ph) =  phase_Nkinematics(ph) +1
     endif
   enddo
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ function kinematics_active(kinematics_label,kinematics_length)  result(active_ki
     kinematics => phase%get('kinematics',defaultVal=emptyList)
     do k = 1, kinematics%length
       kinematics_type => kinematics%get(k)
-      if(kinematics_type%get_asString('type') == kinematics_label) active_kinematics(k,p) = .true.
+      active_kinematics(k,p) = kinematics_type%get_asString('type') == kinematics_label
     enddo
   enddo
 
@@ -136,17 +136,16 @@ function kinematics_active2(kinematics_label,kinematics_length)  result(active_k
     phase, &
     kinematics, &
     kinematics_type
-  integer :: p,k
+  integer :: p
 
   phases => config_material%get('phase')
   allocate(active_kinematics(kinematics_length,phases%length), source = .false. )
   do p = 1, phases%length
     phase => phases%get(p)
     kinematics => phase%get('damage',defaultVal=emptyList)
-    do k = 1, kinematics%length
-      kinematics_type => kinematics%get(k)
-      if(kinematics_type%get_asString('type') == kinematics_label) active_kinematics(k,p) = .true.
-    enddo
+    kinematics_type => kinematics%get(1)
+    if (.not. kinematics_type%contains('type')) continue
+    active_kinematics(1,p) = kinematics_type%get_asString('type',defaultVal='n/a') == kinematics_label
   enddo