diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.cpp
index 0564f9be2b..4d6080c146 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.cpp
@@ -240,13 +240,8 @@ void PairSW::settings(int narg, char ** arg)
   while (iarg < narg) {
     if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"threebody") == 0) {
       if (iarg+2 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style command");
-      if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1], "on") == 0) {
-          threebody_flag = true;
-          one_coeff = 1;
-      } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg+1], "off") == 0) {
-          threebody_flag = false;
-          one_coeff = 0;  // Allow for multiple pair_coeff's
-      } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style command");
+      threebody_flag = utils::logical(FLERR,arg[iarg+1],false,lmp);
+      one_coeff = threebody_flag;
       iarg += 2;
     } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal pair_style command");
   }
diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.h b/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.h
index 76d1bbc202..40d3568fb4 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.h
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_sw.h
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ class PairSW : public Pair {
   };
 
  protected:
-  double cutmax;          // max cutoff for all elements
-  Param *params;          // parameter set for an I-J-K interaction
-  int maxshort;           // size of short neighbor list array
-  int *neighshort;        // short neighbor list array
-  bool threebody_flag;    // whether to run threebody loop
+  double cutmax;         // max cutoff for all elements
+  Param *params;         // parameter set for an I-J-K interaction
+  int maxshort;          // size of short neighbor list array
+  int *neighshort;       // short neighbor list array
+  int threebody_flag;    // whether to run threebody loop
 
   void settings(int, char **) override;
   virtual void allocate();