diff --git a/docs/source/io_formats/tallies.rst b/docs/source/io_formats/tallies.rst
index 974a3d093b..8c1ad91b58 100644
--- a/docs/source/io_formats/tallies.rst
+++ b/docs/source/io_formats/tallies.rst
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ should be set to:
       <filter type="azimuthal" bins="2" />
 
 :mesh:
-  The unique ID of a mesh to be tallied over.z
+  The unique ID of a mesh to be tallied over.
 
 :distribcell:
   The single cell which should be tallied uniquely for all instances.
diff --git a/include/openmc/settings.h b/include/openmc/settings.h
index af74a442fb..85468a7330 100644
--- a/include/openmc/settings.h
+++ b/include/openmc/settings.h
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 #include <array>
 #include <cstdint>
-#include <memory>
 #include <string>
 #include <unordered_set>
 #include <vector>
diff --git a/src/initialize.cpp b/src/initialize.cpp
index d30581e066..5e4c86fd13 100644
--- a/src/initialize.cpp
+++ b/src/initialize.cpp
@@ -82,9 +82,6 @@ if (!settings::LMI && !libMesh::initialized())
 #endif
 }
 
-if (!settings::LMI) {
-  fatal_error("libMesh::LibMeshInit object isn't set.");
-}
 #endif
 
   // Start total and initialization timer
diff --git a/src/mesh.cpp b/src/mesh.cpp
index f8ffc70a95..6f4fd73274 100644
--- a/src/mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh.cpp
@@ -2123,10 +2123,19 @@ LibMesh::LibMesh(const std::string& filename)
 
 void LibMesh::initialize()
 {
-  m_ = std::make_unique<libMesh::Mesh>(settings::LMI->comm(), 3);
+  if (!settings::LMI) {
+    fatal_error("Attempting to use an unstructured mesh without a libMesh::LibMeshInit object.");
+  }
+
+  m_ = std::make_unique<libMesh::Mesh>(settings::LMI->comm(), n_dimension_);
   m_->read(filename_);
   m_->prepare_for_use();
 
+  // ensure that the loaded mesh is 3 dimensional
+  if(m_->spatial_dimension() != n_dimension_) {
+    fatal_error(fmt::format("Mesh file {} specified for use in an unstructured mesh is not a 3D mesh.", filename_));
+  }
+
   // create an equation system for storing values
   eq_system_name_ = "mesh_" + std::to_string(id_) + "_system";