diff --git a/applications/solvers/lagrangian/reactingParcelFoam/createFields.H b/applications/solvers/lagrangian/reactingParcelFoam/createFields.H
index eee7772c2337c58ec3ec48548e6eecdb3674631d..6984cc617819b8b05a9d6244b701446e671915ba 100644
--- a/applications/solvers/lagrangian/reactingParcelFoam/createFields.H
+++ b/applications/solvers/lagrangian/reactingParcelFoam/createFields.H
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ basicSpecieMixture& composition = thermo.composition();
 PtrList<volScalarField>& Y = composition.Y();
 
 const word inertSpecie(thermo.get<word>("inertSpecie"));
-if (!composition.species().found(inertSpecie))
+if
+(
+    !composition.species().found(inertSpecie)
+  && composition.species().size() > 0
+)
 {
     FatalIOErrorIn(args.executable().c_str(), thermo)
         << "Inert specie " << inertSpecie << " not found in available species "
diff --git a/src/lagrangian/intermediate/phaseProperties/phaseProperties/phaseProperties.C b/src/lagrangian/intermediate/phaseProperties/phaseProperties/phaseProperties.C
index 35076e8718b5bb075ba22286361d3b3e447ad96a..a610389b9146494e007fafc0643ea73e68775226 100644
--- a/src/lagrangian/intermediate/phaseProperties/phaseProperties/phaseProperties.C
+++ b/src/lagrangian/intermediate/phaseProperties/phaseProperties/phaseProperties.C
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Copyright (C) 2011-2015 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    Copyright (C) 2020 OpenCFD Ltd.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
     This file is part of OpenFOAM.
@@ -85,11 +86,11 @@ void Foam::phaseProperties::reorder(const wordList& specieNames)
 
         if (!found)
         {
-            FatalErrorInFunction
+            WarningInFunction
                 << "Could not find specie " << names0[i]
                 << " in list " <<  names_
                 << " for phase " << phaseTypeNames[phase_]
-                << exit(FatalError);
+                << nl;
         }
     }
 }
@@ -114,11 +115,11 @@ void Foam::phaseProperties::setCarrierIds
         }
         if (carrierIds_[i] == -1)
         {
-            FatalErrorInFunction
+            WarningInFunction
                 << "Could not find carrier specie " << names_[i]
                 << " in species list" <<  nl
                 << "Available species are: " << nl << carrierNames << nl
-                << exit(FatalError);
+                << nl;
         }
     }
 }