diff --git a/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.cpp b/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.cpp
index 42ecedd78a..3cff12901b 100644
--- a/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.cpp
+++ b/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 template<class DeviceType, int HALF_NEIGH, int GHOST, int TRI, int SIZE>
 NPairKokkos<DeviceType,HALF_NEIGH,GHOST,TRI,SIZE>::NPairKokkos(LAMMPS *lmp) : NPair(lmp) {
 
+  last_stencil_old = -1;
+
   // use 1D view for scalars to reduce GPU memory operations
 
   d_scalars = typename AT::t_int_1d("neighbor:scalars",2);
@@ -112,9 +114,11 @@ void NPairKokkos<DeviceType,HALF_NEIGH,GHOST,TRI,SIZE>::copy_stencil_info()
   NPair::copy_stencil_info();
   nstencil = ns->nstencil;
 
-  if (ns->last_stencil == update->ntimestep) {
+  if (ns->last_stencil != last_stencil_old) {
     // copy stencil to device as it may have changed
 
+    last_stencil_old = ns->last_stencil;
+
     int maxstencil = ns->get_maxstencil();
 
     if (maxstencil > (int)k_stencil.extent(0))
diff --git a/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.h b/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.h
index 339d7e425d..cdac7538d7 100644
--- a/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.h
+++ b/src/KOKKOS/npair_kokkos.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class NPairKokkos : public NPair {
 
   // data from NStencil class
 
-  int nstencil;
+  int nstencil,last_stencil_old;
   DAT::tdual_int_1d k_stencil;  // # of J neighs for each I
   DAT::tdual_int_1d_3 k_stencilxyz;
 };