diff --git a/utils/Visualization/Paraview/create_slice_VTK.f90 b/utils/Visualization/Paraview/create_slice_VTK.f90
index 91cb638de..5ab1cce8c 100644
--- a/utils/Visualization/Paraview/create_slice_VTK.f90
+++ b/utils/Visualization/Paraview/create_slice_VTK.f90
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ program create_slice_VTK
           status='old',action='read',form='unformatted')
     read(27) NSPEC_AB
     read(27) NGLOB_AB
+    read(27) ier    ! skip dummy
 
     ! ibool file
     allocate(ibool(NGLLX,NGLLY,NGLLZ,NSPEC_AB),stat=ier)
diff --git a/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/visualize_collect.f90 b/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/visualize_collect.f90
index 8fe5cfa58..3ab7a47b1 100644
--- a/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/visualize_collect.f90
+++ b/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/visualize_collect.f90
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ subroutine cvd_count_totals_ext_mesh(nproc,proc_list,proc_width,inp_dir, &
 
   read(27) NSPEC_AB
   read(27) NGLOB_AB
+  read(27) ios    ! skip dummy
   ! gets ibool
   if (out_res /= 2) then
     allocate(ibool(NGLLX,NGLLY,NGLLZ,NSPEC_AB))
diff --git a/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/write_vtu.f90 b/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/write_vtu.f90
index ffacac6c3..3da36790c 100644
--- a/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/write_vtu.f90
+++ b/utils/Visualization/Paraview/visualize_gold/src/write_vtu.f90
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ subroutine write_vtu
         endif
         read(27) NSPEC_AB
         read(27) NGLOB_AB
-
+        read(27) ios    ! skip dummy
         ! ibool file
         allocate(ibool(NGLLX,NGLLY,NGLLZ,NSPEC_AB))
         read(27) ibool
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ subroutine write_vtu
         endif
         read(27) NSPEC_AB
         read(27) NGLOB_AB
+        read(27) ios    ! skip dummy
         ! ibool file
         allocate(ibool(NGLLX,NGLLY,NGLLZ,NSPEC_AB))
         read(27) ibool
@@ -587,6 +588,7 @@ subroutine write_vtu
         endif
         read(27) NSPEC_AB
         read(27) NGLOB_AB
+        read(27) ios    ! skip dummy
         ! ibool file
         allocate(ibool(NGLLX,NGLLY,NGLLZ,NSPEC_AB))
         read(27) ibool
diff --git a/utils/locate_partition.f90 b/utils/locate_partition.f90
index 36d0eb018..9e8c48198 100644
--- a/utils/locate_partition.f90
+++ b/utils/locate_partition.f90
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ program locate_partition
     if ( ier /= 0 ) stop 'please check your compilation, use the same compiler & flags as for SPECFEM3D'
     read(27,iostat=ier) NGLOB_AB
     if ( ier /= 0 ) stop 'please check your compilation, use the same compiler & flags as for SPECFEM3D'
+    read(27,iostat=ier) ios   ! skip dummy
 
     ! ibool file
     allocate(ibool(NGLLX,NGLLY,NGLLZ,NSPEC_AB),stat=ier)