Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/toolkits/issm/IssmToolkitUtils.cpp
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/toolkits/issm/IssmToolkitUtils.cpp	(revision 23236)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/c/toolkits/issm/IssmToolkitUtils.cpp	(revision 23237)
@@ -86,16 +86,15 @@
 int IssmSolverTypeFromToolkitOptions(void){ /*{{{*/
 
-	char* solver_type=NULL;
 	int   solver_type_enum;
-	int   num_procs=0;
 	bool  isparallel=false;
 
 	/*first, figure out if we are running in parallel: */
-	num_procs=IssmComm::GetSize();
+	int num_procs=IssmComm::GetSize();
 	if(num_procs>1)isparallel=true;
 
 	/*retrieve solver type as a string, from the Toolkits Options database, similar to what Petsc does. Actually, 
 	 *we try and stick with the Petsc vector types: */
-	solver_type=ToolkitOptions::GetToolkitOptionValue("solver_type");
+	char* solver_type=ToolkitOptions::GetToolkitOptionValue("solver_type");
+	if(!solver_type) _error_("Solver not set");
 
 	if (strcmp(solver_type,"mumps")==0){