diff --git a/src/nstencil.cpp b/src/nstencil.cpp
index 57aff6a71b..e362662dde 100644
--- a/src/nstencil.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ NStencil::NStencil(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pointers(lmp)
   stencil_half = nullptr;
   stencil_skip = nullptr;
   stencil_bin_type = nullptr;
-  stencil_cut = nullptr;
+  stencil_cutsq = nullptr;
 
   dimension = domain->dimension;
 }
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ NStencil::~NStencil()
     memory->destroy(stencil_half);
     memory->destroy(stencil_skip);
     memory->destroy(stencil_bin_type);
-    memory->destroy(stencil_cut);
+    memory->destroy(stencil_cutsq);
     
     memory->destroy(stencil_sx_multi2);
     memory->destroy(stencil_sy_multi2);
@@ -280,8 +280,8 @@ void NStencil::create_setup()
                    "neighstencil:stencil_skip");
     memory->create(stencil_bin_type, n+1, n+1, 
                    "neighstencil:stencil_bin_type");
-    memory->create(stencil_cut, n+1, n+1, 
-                   "neighstencil:stencil_cut");
+    memory->create(stencil_cutsq, n+1, n+1, 
+                   "neighstencil:stencil_cutsq");
 
     memory->create(stencil_sx_multi2, n+1, n+1, 
                    "neighstencil:stencil_sx_multi2");               
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ void NStencil::create_setup()
         stencil_mbiny_multi2[i][j] = mbiny_multi2[bin_type];
         stencil_mbinz_multi2[i][j] = mbinz_multi2[bin_type];
         
-        stencil_range = stencil_cut[i][j];
+        stencil_range = sqrt(stencil_cutsq[i][j]);
         
         sx = static_cast<int> (stencil_range*bininvx_multi2[bin_type]);
         if (sx*binsizex < stencil_range) sx++;
diff --git a/src/nstencil.h b/src/nstencil.h
index 68c7702f79..3c10221603 100644
--- a/src/nstencil.h
+++ b/src/nstencil.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class NStencil : protected Pointers {
   bool **stencil_half;             // flag creation of a half stencil for itype-jtype
   bool **stencil_skip;             // skip creation of itype-jtype stencils (for newton on)  
   int **stencil_bin_type;          // what type to use for bin information
-  double **stencil_cut;            // cutoff used for stencil size
+  double **stencil_cutsq;          // cutoff used for stencil size
 
   NStencil(class LAMMPS *);
   virtual ~NStencil();
diff --git a/src/nstencil_full_multi2_2d.cpp b/src/nstencil_full_multi2_2d.cpp
index 0170fc5cab..a10798677d 100644
--- a/src/nstencil_full_multi2_2d.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil_full_multi2_2d.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ void NStencilFullMulti22d::set_stencil_properties()
     stencil_half[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_skip[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_bin_type[i][i] = i;
-    stencil_cut[i][i] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][i]);
+    stencil_cutsq[i][i] = cutneighsq[i][i];
   }
 
   // smaller -> larger => use existing newtoff stencil in larger bin
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ void NStencilFullMulti22d::set_stencil_properties()
       stencil_skip[i][j] = 0;
       
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] <= cutneighsq[j][j]){
-        stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[j][j]);   
+        stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[j][j];   
         stencil_bin_type[i][j] = j;
       } else {
-        stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][j]);   
+        stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[i][j];   
         stencil_bin_type[i][j] = j;
       }
     }
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void NStencilFullMulti22d::create()
       
       bin_type = stencil_bin_type[itype][jtype];
       
-      cutsq = stencil_cut[itype][jtype];
+      cutsq = stencil_cutsq[itype][jtype];
       
       for (j = -sy; j <= sy; j++)
         for (i = -sx; i <= sx; i++)
diff --git a/src/nstencil_full_multi2_3d.cpp b/src/nstencil_full_multi2_3d.cpp
index 72da5b379f..7e224be7ab 100644
--- a/src/nstencil_full_multi2_3d.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil_full_multi2_3d.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ void NStencilFullMulti23d::set_stencil_properties()
     stencil_half[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_skip[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_bin_type[i][i] = i;
-    stencil_cut[i][i] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][i]);
+    stencil_cutsq[i][i] = cutneighsq[i][i];
   }
 
   // smaller -> larger => use existing newtoff stencil in larger bin
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ void NStencilFullMulti23d::set_stencil_properties()
       stencil_skip[i][j] = 0;
       
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] <= cutneighsq[j][j]){
-        stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[j][j]);   
+        stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[j][j];   
         stencil_bin_type[i][j] = j;
       } else {
-        stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][j]);   
+        stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[i][j];   
         stencil_bin_type[i][j] = j;
       }
     }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void NStencilFullMulti23d::create()
       
       bin_type = stencil_bin_type[itype][jtype];
       
-      cutsq = stencil_cut[itype][jtype];
+      cutsq = stencil_cutsq[itype][jtype];
       
       for (k = -sz; k <= sz; k++)
         for (j = -sy; j <= sy; j++)
diff --git a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d.cpp b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d.cpp
index 2a84fc0e34..7ea058e70b 100644
--- a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti22d::set_stencil_properties()
     stencil_half[i][i] = 1;
     stencil_skip[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_bin_type[i][i] = i;
-    stencil_cut[i][i] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][i]);
+    stencil_cutsq[i][i] = cutneighsq[i][i];
   }
 
   // Cross types: use full stencil, looking one way through hierarchy
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti22d::set_stencil_properties()
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] > cutneighsq[j][j]) continue;
 
       stencil_skip[i][j] = 0;
-      stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][j]);          
+      stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[i][j];          
       
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] == cutneighsq[j][j]){
         stencil_half[i][j] = 1;
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti22d::create()
       
       bin_type = stencil_bin_type[itype][jtype];      
       
-      cutsq = stencil_cut[itype][jtype];
+      cutsq = stencil_cutsq[itype][jtype];
       
       if (stencil_half[itype][jtype]) {
         for (j = 0; j <= sy; j++)
diff --git a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d_tri.cpp b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d_tri.cpp
index f91e0f6524..fb974877af 100755
--- a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d_tri.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_2d_tri.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti22dTri::set_stencil_properties()
     stencil_half[i][i] = 1;
     stencil_skip[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_bin_type[i][i] = i;
-    stencil_cut[i][i] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][i]);
+    stencil_cutsq[i][i] = cutneighsq[i][i];
   }
 
   // Cross types: use full stencil, looking one way through hierarchy
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti22dTri::set_stencil_properties()
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] > cutneighsq[j][j]) continue;
 
       stencil_skip[i][j] = 0;
-      stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][j]);          
+      stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[i][j];          
       
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] == cutneighsq[j][j]){
         stencil_half[i][j] = 1;
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti22dTri::create()
       
       bin_type = stencil_bin_type[itype][jtype];
       
-      cutsq = stencil_cut[itype][jtype];
+      cutsq = stencil_cutsq[itype][jtype];
       
       if (stencil_half[itype][jtype]) {
         for (j = 0; j <= sy; j++)
diff --git a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d.cpp b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d.cpp
index fb6b5d8cd9..92cdc4e5e6 100644
--- a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti23d::set_stencil_properties()
     stencil_half[i][i] = 1;
     stencil_skip[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_bin_type[i][i] = i;
-    stencil_cut[i][i] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][i]);
+    stencil_cutsq[i][i] = cutneighsq[i][i];
   }
 
   // Cross types: use full stencil, looking one way through hierarchy
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti23d::set_stencil_properties()
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] > cutneighsq[j][j]) continue;
 
       stencil_skip[i][j] = 0;
-      stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][j]);          
+      stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[i][j];          
       
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] == cutneighsq[j][j]){
         stencil_half[i][j] = 1;
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti23d::create()
       
       bin_type = stencil_bin_type[itype][jtype];
       
-      cutsq = stencil_cut[itype][jtype];
+      cutsq = stencil_cutsq[itype][jtype];
       
       if (stencil_half[itype][jtype]) {
         for (k = 0; k <= sz; k++)
diff --git a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d_tri.cpp b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d_tri.cpp
index 013688081e..d114635113 100755
--- a/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d_tri.cpp
+++ b/src/nstencil_half_multi2_3d_tri.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti23dTri::set_stencil_properties()
     stencil_half[i][i] = 1;
     stencil_skip[i][i] = 0;
     stencil_bin_type[i][i] = i;
-    stencil_cut[i][i] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][i]);
+    stencil_cutsq[i][i] = cutneighsq[i][i];
   }
 
   // Cross types: use full stencil, looking one way through hierarchy
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti23dTri::set_stencil_properties()
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] > cutneighsq[j][j]) continue;
 
       stencil_skip[i][j] = 0;
-      stencil_cut[i][j] = sqrt(cutneighsq[i][j]);          
+      stencil_cutsq[i][j] = cutneighsq[i][j];          
       
       if(cutneighsq[i][i] == cutneighsq[j][j]){
         stencil_half[i][j] = 1;
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ void NStencilHalfMulti23dTri::create()
       
       bin_type = stencil_bin_type[itype][jtype];
       
-      cutsq = stencil_cut[itype][jtype];
+      cutsq = stencil_cutsq[itype][jtype];
       
       if (stencil_half[itype][jtype]) {
         for (k = 0; k <= sz; k++)