Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/matice.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/matice.py	(revision 26406)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/matice.py	(revision 26407)
@@ -137,5 +137,5 @@
         WriteData(fid, prefix, 'object', self, 'class', 'materials', 'fieldname', 'thermal_exchange_velocity', 'format', 'Double')
         # NOTE: We first have to check if we have a NumPy array here
-        if (((np.shape(self.rheology_B)[0] == md.mesh.numberofvertices) or (np.shape(self.rheology_B)[0] == md.mesh.numberofvertices + 1)) or ((len(np.shape(self.rheology_B)) == 2) and (np.shape(self.rheology_B)[0] == md.mesh.numberofelements) and (np.shape(self.rheology_B)[1] > 1))):
+        if np.size(self.rheology_B)==1 or (((np.shape(self.rheology_B)[0] == md.mesh.numberofvertices) or (np.shape(self.rheology_B)[0] == md.mesh.numberofvertices + 1)) or ((len(np.shape(self.rheology_B)) == 2) and (np.shape(self.rheology_B)[0] == md.mesh.numberofelements) and (np.shape(self.rheology_B)[1] > 1))):
             mattype = 1
             tsl = md.mesh.numberofvertices
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/mesh/planet/gmsh/gmshplanet.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/mesh/planet/gmsh/gmshplanet.py	(revision 26406)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/mesh/planet/gmsh/gmshplanet.py	(revision 26407)
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@
     subproc = subprocess.Popen(subproc_args, shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     outs, errs = subproc.communicate()
-    if errs != '':
+
+    if ((not isinstance(errs,bytes)) & (errs != '')) or (isinstance(errs,bytes) & (errs.decode() != '')):
         raise Exception('gmshplanet: call to gmsh failed: {}'.format(errs))
     gmshmajorversion = int(outs)