diff --git a/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp b/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp
index 454f56c55f..1d4c2502d6 100644
--- a/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp
+++ b/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ void PairReaxFFOMP::init_style()
 
   api->system->n = atom->nlocal; // my atoms
   api->system->N = atom->nlocal + atom->nghost; // mine + ghosts
-  api->system->bigN = static_cast<int> (atom->natoms);  // all atoms in the system
   api->system->wsize = comm->nprocs;
 
   if (atom->tag_enable == 0)
@@ -125,11 +124,6 @@ void PairReaxFFOMP::init_style()
   if (force->newton_pair == 0)
     error->all(FLERR,"Pair style reaxff/omp requires newton pair on");
 
-  // because system->bigN is an int, we cannot have more atoms than MAXSMALLINT
-
-  if (atom->natoms > MAXSMALLINT)
-    error->all(FLERR,"Too many atoms for pair style reaxff/omp");
-
   // need a half neighbor list w/ Newton off and ghost neighbors
   // built whenever re-neighboring occurs
 
@@ -159,7 +153,6 @@ void PairReaxFFOMP::setup()
   api->system->n = atom->nlocal; // my atoms
   api->system->N = atom->nlocal + atom->nghost; // mine + ghosts
   oldN = api->system->N;
-  api->system->bigN = static_cast<int> (atom->natoms);  // all atoms in the system
 
   if (api->system->N > nmax) {
     memory->destroy(num_nbrs_offset);
@@ -240,7 +233,6 @@ void PairReaxFFOMP::compute(int eflag, int vflag)
 
   api->system->n = atom->nlocal; // my atoms
   api->system->N = atom->nlocal + atom->nghost; // mine + ghosts
-  api->system->bigN = static_cast<int> (atom->natoms);  // all atoms in the system
   const int nall = api->system->N;
 
 #if defined(_OPENMP)
diff --git a/src/REAXFF/pair_reaxff.cpp b/src/REAXFF/pair_reaxff.cpp
index 9a3bdf2f79..f7e89169e4 100644
--- a/src/REAXFF/pair_reaxff.cpp
+++ b/src/REAXFF/pair_reaxff.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ PairReaxFF::PairReaxFF(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pair(lmp)
   api->system->num_nbrs = 0;
   api->system->n = 0;                // my atoms
   api->system->N = 0;                // mine + ghosts
-  api->system->bigN = 0;             // all atoms in the system
   api->system->local_cap = 0;
   api->system->total_cap = 0;
   api->system->my_atoms = nullptr;
@@ -348,7 +347,6 @@ void PairReaxFF::init_style()
 
   api->system->n = atom->nlocal; // my atoms
   api->system->N = atom->nlocal + atom->nghost; // mine + ghosts
-  api->system->bigN = static_cast<int> (atom->natoms);  // all atoms in the system
   api->system->wsize = comm->nprocs;
 
   if (atom->tag_enable == 0)
@@ -356,11 +354,6 @@ void PairReaxFF::init_style()
   if (force->newton_pair == 0)
     error->all(FLERR,"Pair style reaxff requires newton pair on");
 
-  // because system->bigN is an int, we cannot have more atoms than MAXSMALLINT
-
-  if (atom->natoms > MAXSMALLINT)
-    error->all(FLERR,"Too many atoms for pair style reaxff");
-
   // need a half neighbor list w/ Newton off and ghost neighbors
   // built whenever re-neighboring occurs
 
@@ -388,7 +381,6 @@ void PairReaxFF::setup()
   api->system->n = atom->nlocal; // my atoms
   api->system->N = atom->nlocal + atom->nghost; // mine + ghosts
   oldN = api->system->N;
-  api->system->bigN = static_cast<int> (atom->natoms);  // all atoms in the system
 
   if (setup_flag == 0) {
 
@@ -469,7 +461,6 @@ void PairReaxFF::compute(int eflag, int vflag)
 
   api->system->n = atom->nlocal; // my atoms
   api->system->N = atom->nlocal + atom->nghost; // mine + ghosts
-  api->system->bigN = static_cast<int> (atom->natoms);  // all atoms in the system
 
   if (api->system->acks2_flag) {
     auto ifix = modify->get_fix_by_style("^acks2/reax").front();
diff --git a/src/REAXFF/reaxff_types.h b/src/REAXFF/reaxff_types.h
index 1eac663e52..94818f6ebf 100644
--- a/src/REAXFF/reaxff_types.h
+++ b/src/REAXFF/reaxff_types.h
@@ -196,7 +196,6 @@ struct LR_lookup_table;    // forward declaration
 struct reax_system {
   reax_interaction reax_param;
 
-  rc_bigint bigN;
   int n, N, numH;
   int local_cap, total_cap, Hcap;
   int wsize, my_rank, num_nbrs;