From ff5f696d5dd5e0d0952b66a57149e972a4052436 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Roberta Pascazio <pascazio@login11.chn.perlmutter.nersc.gov>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2026 06:36:33 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] same endpoint coordinate error fix

---
 src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py | 23 ++++++++++++++++-------
 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py b/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py
index 0db6aedc45..25bebee3ca 100644
--- a/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py
+++ b/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py
@@ -312,13 +312,22 @@ def get_images_and_relax(
             continue
 
         # potential place for uuid logic if depth first is desirable
-        pathfinder_output = get_pathfinder_results(
-            ep_structures[ini_ind],
-            ep_structures[fin_ind],
-            working_ion,
-            n_images[hop_idx],
-            host_chgcar,
-        )
+
+        try:
+            pathfinder_output = get_pathfinder_results(
+                ep_structures[ini_ind],
+                ep_structures[fin_ind],
+                working_ion,
+                n_images[hop_idx],
+                host_chgcar,
+            )
+        except ValueError:
+            warnings.warn(
+                "Pathfinder is failing cause initial and final "
+                "geometry are the same image. excluding this hop.",
+                stacklevel=2,
+            )
+
         images_list = pathfinder_output["images"]
 
         # add selective dynamics to structure

From 32a5ae3065279382212b893be0eb47e78baeeae5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: esoteric-ephemera <aaron.kaplan.physics@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2026 15:52:13 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] tweak error message

---
 src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py | 6 ++++--
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py b/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py
index 25bebee3ca..edd07d9b29 100644
--- a/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py
+++ b/src/atomate2/common/jobs/approx_neb.py
@@ -323,10 +323,12 @@ def get_images_and_relax(
             )
         except ValueError:
             warnings.warn(
-                "Pathfinder is failing cause initial and final "
-                "geometry are the same image. excluding this hop.",
+                "NEBPathfinder can fail when the initial and final "
+                "images along a hop are nearly identical. "
+                "Excluding this hop.",
                 stacklevel=2,
             )
+            continue
 
         images_list = pathfinder_output["images"]