diff --git a/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.dipole.pppm_dipole b/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.dipole.pppm_dipole
index c2c49e3caf..86ac5198b0 100644
--- a/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.dipole.pppm_dipole
+++ b/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.dipole.pppm_dipole
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pair_coeff      * * 0.0 0.0
 #kspace_style    pppm/disp 1.0e-4
 #kspace_style    pppm/dipole 1.0e-4
 kspace_style    ewald/dipole 1.0e-4
-kspace_modify   gewald 0.1
+#kspace_modify   gewald 0.1
 
 neighbor	0.3 bin
 neigh_modify	every 2 delay 4 check yes
diff --git a/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.spin.ewald_spin b/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.spin.ewald_spin
index d9ca46b27a..f2192676c7 100644
--- a/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.spin.ewald_spin
+++ b/examples/SPIN/pppm_spin/in.spin.ewald_spin
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ neigh_modify 	every 10 check yes delay 20
 
 #kspace_style pppm/dipole/spin 1.0e-4
 #kspace_style ewald/dipole/spin 1.0e-4
-kspace_style ewald/dipole/spin 1.0e-2
-kspace_modify mesh 32 32 32
+kspace_style ewald/dipole/spin 1.0e-4
+#kspace_modify mesh 32 32 32
 
 #fix 		1 all precession/spin zeeman 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
 fix 		1 all precession/spin zeeman 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
diff --git a/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole.cpp b/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole.cpp
index 42d850dcc2..c3a3818013 100644
--- a/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole.cpp
+++ b/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,15 @@ void EwaldDipole::init()
   if (!gewaldflag) {
     if (accuracy <= 0.0)
       error->all(FLERR,"KSpace accuracy must be > 0");
+    
+    // initial guess with old method
+    
+    g_ewald = accuracy*sqrt(natoms*cutoff*xprd*yprd*zprd) / (2.0*mu2);
+    if (g_ewald >= 1.0) g_ewald = (1.35 - 0.15*log(accuracy))/cutoff;
+    else g_ewald = sqrt(-log(g_ewald)) / cutoff;
+    
+    // try Newton solver
+
     double g_ewald_new =
       NewtonSolve(g_ewald,cutoff,natoms,xprd*yprd*zprd,mu2);
     if (g_ewald_new > 0.0) g_ewald = g_ewald_new;
diff --git a/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole_spin.cpp b/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole_spin.cpp
index 5522b18e03..43b9b32c76 100644
--- a/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole_spin.cpp
+++ b/src/KSPACE/ewald_dipole_spin.cpp
@@ -164,6 +164,15 @@ void EwaldDipoleSpin::init()
   if (!gewaldflag) {
     if (accuracy <= 0.0)
       error->all(FLERR,"KSpace accuracy must be > 0");
+    
+    // initial guess with old method
+    
+    g_ewald = accuracy*sqrt(natoms*cutoff*xprd*yprd*zprd) / (2.0*mu2);
+    if (g_ewald >= 1.0) g_ewald = (1.35 - 0.15*log(accuracy))/cutoff;
+    else g_ewald = sqrt(-log(g_ewald)) / cutoff;
+    
+    // try Newton solver
+
     double g_ewald_new =
       NewtonSolve(g_ewald,cutoff,natoms,xprd*yprd*zprd,mu2);
     if (g_ewald_new > 0.0) g_ewald = g_ewald_new;
@@ -887,7 +896,8 @@ void EwaldDipoleSpin::spsum_musq()
     MPI_Allreduce(&musum_local,&musum,1,MPI_DOUBLE,MPI_SUM,world);
     MPI_Allreduce(&musqsum_local,&musqsum,1,MPI_DOUBLE,MPI_SUM,world);
 
-    mu2 = musqsum * mub2mu0;
+    //mu2 = musqsum * mub2mu0;
+    mu2 = musqsum;
   }
 
   if (mu2 == 0 && comm->me == 0)