diff --git a/src/neighbor.cpp b/src/neighbor.cpp
index a1c8979ca7..d9b97de667 100644
--- a/src/neighbor.cpp
+++ b/src/neighbor.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
- // clang-format off
+// clang-format off
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    LAMMPS - Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator
    https://www.lammps.org/, Sandia National Laboratories
@@ -2705,8 +2705,8 @@ void Neighbor::modify_params(int narg, char **arg)
           memory->grow(ex1_type,maxex_type,"neigh:ex1_type");
           memory->grow(ex2_type,maxex_type,"neigh:ex2_type");
         }
-        ex1_type[nex_type] = utils::inumeric(FLERR,arg[iarg+2],false,lmp);
-        ex2_type[nex_type] = utils::inumeric(FLERR,arg[iarg+3],false,lmp);
+        ex1_type[nex_type] = utils::expand_type_int(FLERR, arg[iarg+2], 0, lmp);
+        ex2_type[nex_type] = utils::expand_type_int(FLERR, arg[iarg+3], 0, lmp);
         nex_type++;
         iarg += 4;
       } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1],"group") == 0) {