diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.cc b/src/user/user_objects.cc
index d925a3a3..c8f21281 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.cc
@@ -2392,6 +2392,7 @@ int mjCJoint::Compile(void) {
   if (type == mjJNT_FREE) {
     limited = mjLIMITED_FALSE;
   }
+
   // otherwise if limited is auto, check consistency wrt auto-limits
   else if (limited == mjLIMITED_AUTO) {
     bool hasrange = !(range[0] == 0 && range[1] == 0);
@@ -2423,6 +2424,7 @@ int mjCJoint::Compile(void) {
   if (type == mjJNT_FREE || type == mjJNT_BALL) {
     actfrclimited = mjLIMITED_FALSE;
   }
+
   // otherwise if actfrclimited is auto, check consistency wrt auto-limits
   else if (actfrclimited == mjLIMITED_AUTO) {
     bool hasrange = !(actfrcrange[0] == 0 && actfrcrange[1] == 0);
diff --git a/src/xml/xml_native_writer.cc b/src/xml/xml_native_writer.cc
index 6b27bbc3..8b70e9a2 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml_native_writer.cc
+++ b/src/xml/xml_native_writer.cc
@@ -395,10 +395,14 @@ void mjXWriter::OneJoint(XMLElement* elem, const mjCJoint* joint, mjCDef* def,
   WriteAttr(elem, "solimpfriction", mjNIMP, joint->solimp_friction, def->Joint().solimp_friction,
             true);
   WriteAttr(elem, "stiffness", 1, &joint->stiffness, &def->Joint().stiffness);
-  WriteAttrKey(elem, "limited", TFAuto_map, 3, joint->limited, def->Joint().limited);
+  if (joint->type != mjJNT_FREE) {
+    WriteAttrKey(elem, "limited", TFAuto_map, 3, joint->limited, def->Joint().limited);
+  }
   WriteAttr(elem, "range", 2, joint->range, def->Joint().range);
-  WriteAttrKey(elem, "actuatorfrclimited", TFAuto_map, 3, joint->actfrclimited,
-               def->Joint().actfrclimited);
+  if (joint->type != mjJNT_FREE && joint->type != mjJNT_BALL) {
+    WriteAttrKey(elem, "actuatorfrclimited", TFAuto_map, 3, joint->actfrclimited,
+                def->Joint().actfrclimited);
+  }
   WriteAttrKey(elem, "actuatorgravcomp", bool_map, 2, joint->actgravcomp, def->Joint().actgravcomp);
   WriteAttr(elem, "actuatorfrcrange", 2, joint->actfrcrange, def->Joint().actfrcrange);
   WriteAttr(elem, "margin", 1, &joint->margin, &def->Joint().margin);