diff --git a/include/emp/bits/Bits_Data.hpp b/include/emp/bits/Bits_Data.hpp
index e8fe4a0a03..ddb106ae25 100644
--- a/include/emp/bits/Bits_Data.hpp
+++ b/include/emp/bits/Bits_Data.hpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  *  @note This file is part of Empirical, https://github.com/devosoft/Empirical
  *  @copyright Copyright (C) Michigan State University, MIT Software license; see doc/LICENSE.md
- *  @date 2022.
+ *  @date 2022-23.
  *
  *  @file Bits_Data.hpp
  *  @brief Helper class to handle memory management for Bits objects.
@@ -231,9 +231,9 @@ namespace emp {
       {
         if (num_bits) bits = NewArrayPtr<field_t>(NumBitFields(num_bits));
       }
-      Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic(const Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic & in) : bits(nullptr) { Copy(in); }
+      Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic(const Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic & in) : base_t(), bits(nullptr) { Copy(in); }
       Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic(Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic && in) : bits(nullptr) { Move(std::move(in)); }
-      ~Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic() { bits.DeleteArray(); }
+      ~Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic() { if (bits) bits.DeleteArray(); }
 
       Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic & operator=(const Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic & in) { Copy(in); return *this; }
       Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic & operator=(Bits_Data_Mem_Dynamic && in) { Move(std::move(in)); return *this; }