diff --git a/tao/code/tao_beam_track_endpoint.f90 b/tao/code/tao_beam_track_endpoint.f90
index 67406b71df..8e4a0feaac 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_beam_track_endpoint.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_beam_track_endpoint.f90
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 !+
-! Function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where) result (ele)
+! Function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where, u) result (ele)
 !
 ! Routine to point to the track endpoint element.
 !
@@ -7,13 +7,15 @@
 !   ele_id      -- character(*): Name or index of the element.
 !   lat         -- lat_struct: Lattice.
 !   branch_str  -- integer: Branch where the tracking is done. '' => Branch not specified.
-!   where       -- character(*): 'TRACK_END' or 'TRACK_START'. Used for error messages.
+!   where       -- character(*): 'TRACK_END', 'TRACK_START', etc.. Used for error messages.
+!   u           -- tao_universe_struct: Universe beam is being tracked in.
 !
 ! Output:
 !   ele         -- ele_struct, pointer: Pointer to the track endpoint element. Nullified if error.
+!                   Note: blank ele_id is handled if "where" contains 'END' or 'START'
 !-
 
-function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where) result (ele)
+function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where, u) result (ele)
 
 use tao_interface, dummy => tao_beam_track_endpoint
 
@@ -23,8 +25,9 @@ function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where) result (ele)
 type (ele_struct), pointer :: ele0, ele
 type (ele_pointer_struct), allocatable, target :: eles(:)
 type (branch_struct), pointer :: branch
+type (tao_universe_struct), target :: u
 
-integer ix_branch, n_loc
+integer ix_branch, n_loc, ie
 logical err
 
 character(*) ele_id, where, branch_str
@@ -37,44 +40,69 @@ function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where) result (ele)
 
 branch => pointer_to_branch(branch_str, lat)
 if (.not. associated(branch) .and. branch_str /= '') then
-  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, where // 'BRANCH NOT FOUND: ' // branch_str)
+  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, trim(where) // ' BRANCH NOT FOUND: ' // branch_str)
   return
 endif
 if (associated(branch)) ix_branch = branch%ix_branch
 
-call lat_ele_locator (ele_id, lat, eles, n_loc, err, ix_dflt_branch = ix_branch)
+if (ele_id == '') then
+  if (.not. associated(branch)) branch => lat%branch(0)
+
+  if (index(where, 'START') /= 0) then
+    ele => branch%ele(0)
+
+  elseif (index(where, 'END') /= 0) then
+    if (branch%param%geometry == open$) then
+      ele => branch%ele(branch%n_ele_track)
+    else
+      ie = u%model_branch(branch%ix_branch)%beam%ix_track_start - 1
+      if (ie == -1) then
+        ele => branch%ele(0)
+      else
+        ele => branch%ele(ie)
+      endif
+    endif
 
-if (err .or. n_loc == 0) then
-  if (ix_branch > -1) then
-    call out_io (s_error$, r_name, where // 'ELEMENT NOT FOUND: ' // ele_id, &
-                                            'IN BRANCH: ' // int_str(ix_branch))
   else
-    call out_io (s_error$, r_name, where // 'ELEMENT NOT FOUND: ' // ele_id)
+    call out_io(s_error$, r_name, 'BLANK STRING FOR ' // trim(where) // ' ELEMENT!')
   endif
   return
-endif
 
-if (n_loc > 1) then
-  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'MULTIPLE ' // where // ' ELEMENTS FOUND: ' // ele_id)
-  return
+else
+  call lat_ele_locator (ele_id, lat, eles, n_loc, err, ix_dflt_branch = ix_branch)
+  if (err .or. n_loc == 0) then
+    if (ix_branch > -1) then
+      call out_io (s_error$, r_name, trim(where) // ' ELEMENT NOT FOUND: ' // ele_id, &
+                                              'IN BRANCH: ' // int_str(ix_branch))
+    else
+      call out_io (s_error$, r_name, trim(where) // ' ELEMENT NOT FOUND: ' // ele_id)
+    endif
+    return
+  endif
+
+  if (n_loc > 1) then
+    call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'MULTIPLE ' // trim(where) // ' ELEMENTS FOUND: ' // ele_id)
+    return
+  endif
 endif
 
+
 ele0 => eles(1)%ele
 select case (ele0%lord_status)
 case (multipass_lord$) 
-  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BEAM ' // where // ' ELEMENT IS A MULTIPASS LORD: ' // ele_id, &
+  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BEAM ' // trim(where) // ' ELEMENT IS A MULTIPASS LORD: ' // ele_id, &
                    'WHERE TO START IN THE LATTICE IS AMBIGUOUS SINCE WHICH PASS TO USE IS NOT SPECIFIED.')
   return
 case (group_lord$, overlay_lord$)
   if (ele0%n_slave == 1) then
     ele0 => pointer_to_slave(ele0, 1)
   else
-    call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BEAM ' // where // ' ELEMENT IS A CONTROLLER TYPE ELEMENT: ' // ele_id, &
+    call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BEAM ' // trim(where) // ' ELEMENT IS A CONTROLLER TYPE ELEMENT: ' // ele_id, &
                                    'THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.')
     return
   endif
 case (girder_lord$)
-  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BEAM ' // where // ' ELEMENT IS A GIRDER TYPE ELEMENT: ' // ele_id, &
+  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'BEAM ' // trim(where) // ' ELEMENT IS A GIRDER TYPE ELEMENT: ' // ele_id, &
                                  'THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.')
   return
 end select
@@ -82,7 +110,7 @@ function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where) result (ele)
 if (ele0%lord_status == super_lord$) ele0 => pointer_to_slave(ele0, ele0%n_lord)
 
 if (ele0%n_slave /= 0) then
-  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'UNABLE TO ASSOCIATE BEAM ' // where // ' ELEMENT: ' // ele_id, &
+  call out_io (s_error$, r_name, 'UNABLE TO ASSOCIATE BEAM ' // trim(where) // ' ELEMENT: ' // ele_id, &
                                  'TO SOMEPLACE IN THE TRACKING LATTICE.')
   return
 endif
diff --git a/tao/code/tao_command.f90 b/tao/code/tao_command.f90
index febe11096f..113f3aee6f 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_command.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_command.f90
@@ -767,9 +767,9 @@ subroutine tao_command (command_line, err_flag, err_is_fatal)
 
   select case (set_word)
   case ('beam')
-    call tao_set_beam_cmd (cmd_word(1), cmd_word(3), branch_str)
+    call tao_set_beam_cmd (cmd_word(1), unquote(cmd_word(3)), branch_str)
   case ('beam_init')
-    call tao_set_beam_init_cmd (cmd_word(1), cmd_word(3), branch_str)
+    call tao_set_beam_init_cmd (cmd_word(1), unquote(cmd_word(3)), branch_str)
   case ('beam_start', 'particle_start')
     if (set_word == 'beam_start') call out_io (s_warn$, r_name, 'Note: "beam_start" is now named "particle_start".')
     call tao_set_particle_start_cmd (cmd_word(1), cmd_word(3))
diff --git a/tao/code/tao_init_mod.f90 b/tao/code/tao_init_mod.f90
index 1d156c928d..300d6fb060 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_init_mod.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_init_mod.f90
@@ -347,12 +347,8 @@ subroutine tao_init_beam_in_universe (u, beam_init, track_start, track_end, comb
 
 u%beam%track_beam_in_universe = .true.
 
-if (track_start == '') then
-  ele => u%model%lat%branch(0)%ele(0)
-else
-  ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (track_start, u%model%lat, '', 'TRACK_START')
-  if (.not. associated(ele)) return
-endif
+ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (track_start, u%model%lat, '', 'TRACK_START', u)
+if (.not. associated(ele)) return
 
 bb => u%model_branch(ele%ix_branch)%beam
 bb%ix_track_start = ele%ix_ele
@@ -368,20 +364,10 @@ subroutine tao_init_beam_in_universe (u, beam_init, track_start, track_end, comb
 bb%track_end = track_end
 branch => u%model%lat%branch(ele%ix_branch)
 
-if (track_end == '') then
-  if (branch%param%geometry == open$) then
-    bb%ix_track_end = branch%n_ele_track
-  else
-    bb%ix_track_end = bb%ix_track_start - 1
-    if (bb%ix_track_end == -1) bb%ix_track_end = branch%n_ele_track
-  endif
-
-else
-  bb%ix_track_end = not_set$
-  ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (track_end, u%model%lat, int_str(ele%ix_branch), 'TRACK_END')
-  if (.not. associated(ele)) return
-  bb%ix_track_end = ele%ix_ele
-endif
+bb%ix_track_end = not_set$
+ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (track_end, u%model%lat, int_str(ele%ix_branch), 'TRACK_END', u)
+if (.not. associated(ele)) return
+bb%ix_track_end = ele%ix_ele
 
 ! Find where to save the beam at.
 ! Note: Beam will automatically be saved at fork elements and at the ends of the beam tracking.
diff --git a/tao/code/tao_interface.f90 b/tao/code/tao_interface.f90
index f05c49cd11..52fde20c8d 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_interface.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_interface.f90
@@ -59,12 +59,13 @@ function tao_beam_emit_calc (plane, emit_type, ele, bunch_params) result (emit)
   real(rp) emit
 end function
 
-function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where) result (ele)
+function tao_beam_track_endpoint (ele_id, lat, branch_str, where, u) result (ele)
   import
   implicit none
   type (ele_struct), pointer :: ele
   type (lat_struct), target :: lat
   character(*) ele_id, where, branch_str
+  type (tao_universe_struct) u
 end function
 
 function tao_branch_index (ix_branch) result (ix_this)
diff --git a/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90 b/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90
index edcf9d9cf4..5f9a9cd49f 100644
--- a/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90
+++ b/tao/code/tao_set_mod.f90
@@ -1003,7 +1003,7 @@ subroutine tao_set_beam_cmd (who, value_str, branch_str)
 
   select case (switch)
   case ('beginning')
-    ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (value_str, u%model%lat, '', 'BEGGINING')
+    ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (value_str, u%model%lat, '', 'BEGGINING', u)
     if (.not. associated(ele)) return
     beam => u%model_branch(ele%ix_branch)%ele(ele%ix_ele)%beam
     if (.not. allocated(beam%bunch)) then
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ subroutine tao_set_beam_cmd (who, value_str, branch_str)
     call tao_set_logical_value (u%beam%always_reinit, switch, value_str, err)
 
   case ('track_start', 'beam_track_start', 'track_end', 'beam_track_end')
-    ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (value_str, u%model%lat, branch_str, switch)
+    ele => tao_beam_track_endpoint (value_str, u%model%lat, branch_str, upcase(switch), u)
     if (.not. associated(ele)) return
 
     bb => u%model_branch(ele%ix_branch)%beam