diff --git a/lib/script_controller.cpp b/lib/script_controller.cpp
index adb3e729..7ca40933 100644
--- a/lib/script_controller.cpp
+++ b/lib/script_controller.cpp
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ int ScriptController::ScriptReadParQuadrature(istream &scr, DataState &state)
 
 int ScriptController::ScriptReadDisplMesh(istream &scr, DataState &state)
 {
-   DataState meshstate;
+   DataState meshstate = state.CloneEmpty();
    string word;
 
    cout << "Script: mesh: " << flush;
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ bool ScriptController::ExecuteScriptCommand()
          case Command::DataCollField:
          case Command::DataCollQuad:
          {
-            DataState new_state;
+            DataState new_state = win.data_state.CloneEmpty();
 
             switch (cmd)
             {
diff --git a/lib/threads.cpp b/lib/threads.cpp
index e6dd8b6c..20883c8e 100644
--- a/lib/threads.cpp
+++ b/lib/threads.cpp
@@ -1045,8 +1045,7 @@ bool communication_thread::execute_one(std::string ident)
    // new solution handled by StreamReader
    if (StreamReader::SupportsDataType(ident))
    {
-      DataState tmp;
-      tmp.fix_elem_orient = glvis_command->FixElementOrientations();
+      DataState tmp = glvis_command->CurrentDataState().CloneEmpty();
       StreamReader reader(tmp);
       reader.ReadStream(*is[0], ident);
 
@@ -1115,9 +1114,7 @@ bool communication_thread::execute_one(std::string ident)
          }
          while (1);
 
-         DataState tmp;
-         tmp.fix_elem_orient = glvis_command->FixElementOrientations();
-         tmp.keep_attr = glvis_command->KeepAttrib();
+         DataState tmp = glvis_command->CurrentDataState().CloneEmpty();
          StreamReader reader(tmp);
          reader.ReadStreams(is);
 
diff --git a/lib/threads.hpp b/lib/threads.hpp
index 4217a32a..265708f5 100644
--- a/lib/threads.hpp
+++ b/lib/threads.hpp
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ class GLVisCommand
    GLVisCommand(Window &win);
 
    // to be used by worker threads
-   bool KeepAttrib() { return win.data_state.keep_attr; } // may need to sync this
-   bool FixElementOrientations() { return win.data_state.fix_elem_orient; }
+   const DataState& CurrentDataState() const { return win.data_state; }
 
    // called by worker threads
    int NewMeshAndSolution(DataState &&ss);