diff --git a/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.cc b/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.cc
index a5233dca4c7afb899b0c3adbb35159ba8308619f..0a463ac24c068bcea1d35b1ff3f5ddde0845ef42 100644
--- a/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.cc
+++ b/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.cc
@@ -141,20 +141,6 @@ bool MMCifParser::OnBeginLoop(const StarLoopDesc& header)
   return false;
 }
 
-bool MMCifParser::EnsureEnoughColumns(const std::vector<StringRef>& columns,
-                                      size_t size)
-{
-  if (columns.size() < size) {
-    if (profile_.fault_tolerant) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    throw IOException(this->FormatDiagnostic(STAR_DIAG_ERROR,
-                                             "Not enough data fields",
-                                             this->GetCurrentLinenum()));
-  }  
-  return true;
-}
-
 mol::ResNum to_res_num(int num, char ins_code)
 {
   return mol::ResNum(num, ins_code==' ' ? '\0' : ins_code);
@@ -207,9 +193,6 @@ bool MMCifParser::ParseAtomIdent(const std::vector<StringRef>& columns,
 
 void MMCifParser::ParseAndAddAtom(const std::vector<StringRef>& columns)
 {
-  if (!this->EnsureEnoughColumns(columns, 12)) {
-    return;
-  }
   mol::XCSEditor editor=ent_handle_.EditXCS(mol::BUFFERED_EDIT); // potbl
   char alt_loc=0;
   String chain_name;
diff --git a/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.hh b/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.hh
index b9a191a1695d04b771b225e82efbd55f924ab321..6f933ae12aa5d57b894baa31ab44eb6acae49610 100644
--- a/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.hh
+++ b/modules/io/src/mol/mmcif_reader.hh
@@ -125,14 +125,6 @@ public:
   /// \return true for a valid id, false otherwise
   bool IsValidPDBIdent(const StringRef& pdbid);
 
-  /// \brief Check no. of columns available.
-  ///
-  /// \param columns fields
-  /// \param size required no. of columns
-  ///
-  /// \return true if there are enough columns, false otherwise
-  bool EnsureEnoughColumns(const std::vector<StringRef>& columns, size_t size);
-
   /// \brief ...
   ///
   /// \param columns data row