diff --git a/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp b/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp
index d39672f09b..cad82dd84f 100644
--- a/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp
+++ b/src/OPENMP/pair_reaxff_omp.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ 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)
@@ -123,11 +122,6 @@ 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
 
@@ -157,7 +151,6 @@ 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);
@@ -238,7 +231,6 @@ 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 1c6665b604..a5d92507c1 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;
@@ -352,7 +351,6 @@ 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)
@@ -360,11 +358,6 @@ 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
 
@@ -392,7 +385,6 @@ 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) {
 
@@ -473,7 +465,6 @@ 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) {
     int ifix = modify->find_fix_by_style("^acks2/reax");
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;