diff --git a/src/controls/controlsIO.cpp b/src/controls/controlsIO.cpp
index 60226dd..df447f6 100644
--- a/src/controls/controlsIO.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/controlsIO.cpp
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ void controls::read(YAML::Node inputNode)
             }
             else
             {
-                errorMsg("convergence_controls block is not provided in the "
+                errorMsg("convergence_criteria block is not provided in the "
                          "yaml input file");
             }
 
diff --git a/src/mesh/interface/interfaceIO.cpp b/src/mesh/interface/interfaceIO.cpp
index 6d1c544..6ed219f 100644
--- a/src/mesh/interface/interfaceIO.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/interface/interfaceIO.cpp
@@ -190,6 +190,12 @@ void interface::read(const YAML::Node& inputNode)
                 {
                     searchMethodName =
                         inputNode["search_method"].template as<std::string>();
+                    if (searchMethodName != "stk_kdtree")
+                    {
+                        errorMsg("invalid search_method '" + searchMethodName +
+                                 "' provided for interface; only stk_kdtree "
+                                 "is supported");
+                    }
                 }
 
                 if (inputNode["search_tolerance"])
diff --git a/src/mesh/zone/zoneIO.cpp b/src/mesh/zone/zoneIO.cpp
index 12f1ebf..656ac3c 100644
--- a/src/mesh/zone/zoneIO.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/zone/zoneIO.cpp
@@ -161,8 +161,9 @@ void zone::read(const YAML::Node& domain)
                 domain["domain_models"]["mesh_deformation"]["stationary_parts"])
             {
                 std::vector<std::string> stationaryPartNames =
-                    domain["domain_models"]["domain_motion"]["stationary_parts"]
-                        .template as<std::vector<std::string>>();
+                    domain["domain_models"]["mesh_deformation"]
+                          ["stationary_parts"]
+                              .template as<std::vector<std::string>>();
 
                 for (auto stationaryPartName : stationaryPartNames)
                 {
@@ -242,8 +243,8 @@ void zone::read(const YAML::Node& domain)
     {
         errorMsg("zone: `boundaries` block is missing for domain `" +
                  domain["name"].template as<std::string>() +
-                 "`.\nboundary_conditions:\n -name: <boundary name>\n type: "
-                 "<boundary type>\n location: <location list>");
+                 "`.\nboundaries:\n- name: <boundary name>\n  type: "
+                 "<boundary type>\n  location: <location list>");
     }
 }