diff --git a/src/USER-DPD/npair_half_bin_newton_ssa.cpp b/src/USER-DPD/npair_half_bin_newton_ssa.cpp
index 2c787d6398..8d260dd2be 100644
--- a/src/USER-DPD/npair_half_bin_newton_ssa.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-DPD/npair_half_bin_newton_ssa.cpp
@@ -207,8 +207,7 @@ void NPairHalfBinNewtonSSA::build(NeighList *list)
         }
 
         // loop over all local atoms in other bins in "subphase" of stencil
-        k = (subphase > 0) ? nstencil_ssa[subphase - 1] : 0;
-        for (; k < nstencil_ssa[subphase]; k++) {
+        for (k = nstencil_ssa[subphase]; k < nstencil_ssa[subphase+1]; k++) {
           for (j = binhead[ibin+stencil[k]]; j >= 0; j = bins[j]) {
             jtype = type[j];
             if (exclude && exclusion(i,j,itype,jtype,mask,molecule)) continue;
diff --git a/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_2d_newton_ssa.cpp b/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_2d_newton_ssa.cpp
index 084d5b0602..5df65918d3 100644
--- a/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_2d_newton_ssa.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_2d_newton_ssa.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA::NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA(LAMMPS *lmp) :
 void NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA::create()
 {
   int i,j,pos = 0;
+  nstencil_ssa[0] = 0; // redundant info, but saves a conditional
   // Subphase 0: upper right front bins (red)
   for (j = 0; j <= sy; j++)
     for (i = 0; i <= sx; i++)
@@ -52,8 +53,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = 0;
           stencil[pos++] = j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[0] = pos;
 
+  nstencil_ssa[1] = pos;
   // Subphase 1: upper left front bins (light blue)
   for (j = 1; j <= sy; j++)
     for (i = -sx; i < 0; i++)
@@ -63,21 +64,21 @@ void NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA::create()
         stencilxyz[pos][2] = 0;
         stencil[pos++] = j*mbinx + i;
       }
-  nstencil_ssa[1] = pos;
 
-  // Subphase 2: lower right front bins (yellow)
   nstencil_ssa[2] = pos;
+  // Subphase 2: lower right front bins (yellow)
 
-  // Subphase 3: lower left front bins (blue)
   nstencil_ssa[3] = pos;
+  // Subphase 3: lower left front bins (blue)
 
+  nstencil_ssa[4] = pos; // record end of half stencil
   // Now include additional bins for AIR ghosts, and impure-to-pure locals
   // Subphase 4: upper right back bins (pink)
-  nstencil_ssa[4] = pos;
 
+  // nstencil_ssa[5] = pos;
   // Subphase 5: upper left back bins (light green)
-  nstencil_ssa[5] = pos;
 
+  // nstencil_ssa[6] = pos;
   // Subphase 6: lower right back bins (white)
   for (j = -sy; j < 0; j++)
     for (i = 0; i <= sx; i++)
@@ -87,8 +88,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA::create()
         stencilxyz[pos][2] = 0;
         stencil[pos++] = j*mbinx + i;
       }
-  nstencil_ssa[6] = pos;
 
+  // nstencil_ssa[7] = pos;
   // Subphase 7: lower left back bins (purple)
   for (j = -sy; j <= 0; j++)
     for (i = -sx; i < 0; i++)
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ void NStencilHalfBin2dNewtonSSA::create()
         stencilxyz[pos][2] = 0;
         stencil[pos++] = j*mbinx + i;
       }
-  nstencil_ssa[7] = pos;
+  // nstencil_ssa[8] = pos;
 
   // Also, include the centroid for the AIR ghosts.
   stencilxyz[pos][0] = 0;
diff --git a/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_3d_newton_ssa.cpp b/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_3d_newton_ssa.cpp
index 1741a1e847..3b1c85bdc1 100644
--- a/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_3d_newton_ssa.cpp
+++ b/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_half_bin_3d_newton_ssa.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA(LAMMPS *lmp) :
 void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
 {
   int i,j,k,pos = 0;
+  nstencil_ssa[0] = 0; // redundant info, but saves a conditional
   // Subphase 0: upper right front bins (red)
   for (k = 0; k <= sz; k++)
     for (j = 0; j <= sy; j++)
@@ -53,8 +54,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
             stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
             stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
           }
-  nstencil_ssa[0] = pos;
 
+  nstencil_ssa[1] = pos;
   // Subphase 1: upper left front bins (light blue)
   for (k = 0; k <= sz; k++)
     for (j = 1; j <= sy; j++)
@@ -65,8 +66,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[1] = pos;
 
+  nstencil_ssa[2] = pos;
   // Subphase 2: lower right front bins (yellow)
   for (k = 1; k <= sz; k++)
     for (j = -sy; j < 0; j++)
@@ -77,8 +78,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[2] = pos;
 
+  nstencil_ssa[3] = pos;
   // Subphase 3: lower left front bins (blue)
   for (k = 1; k <= sz; k++)
     for (j = -sy; j <= 0; j++)
@@ -89,8 +90,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[3] = pos;
 
+  nstencil_ssa[4] = pos; // record end of half stencil
   // Now include additional bins for AIR ghosts, and impure-to-pure locals
   // Subphase 4: upper right back bins (pink)
   for (k = -sz; k < 0; k++)
@@ -102,8 +103,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[4] = pos;
 
+  // nstencil_ssa[5] = pos;
   // Subphase 5: upper left back bins (light green)
   for (k = -sz; k < 0; k++)
     for (j = 1; j <= sy; j++)
@@ -114,8 +115,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[5] = pos;
 
+  // nstencil_ssa[6] = pos;
   // Subphase 6: lower right back bins (white)
   for (k = -sz; k <= 0; k++)
     for (j = -sy; j < 0; j++)
@@ -126,8 +127,8 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[6] = pos;
 
+  // nstencil_ssa[7] = pos;
   // Subphase 7: lower left back bins (purple)
   for (k = -sz; k <= 0; k++)
     for (j = -sy; j <= 0; j++)
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ void NStencilHalfBin3dNewtonSSA::create()
           stencilxyz[pos][2] = k;
           stencil[pos++] = k*mbiny*mbinx + j*mbinx + i;
         }
-  nstencil_ssa[7] = pos;
+  //nstencil_ssa[8] = pos;
 
   // Also, include the centroid for the AIR ghosts.
   stencilxyz[pos][0] = 0;
diff --git a/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_ssa.h b/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_ssa.h
index a5e3723271..f6f91fefde 100644
--- a/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_ssa.h
+++ b/src/USER-DPD/nstencil_ssa.h
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ class NStencilSSA : public NStencil {
   ~NStencilSSA() {}
   virtual void create() = 0;
 
-  int nstencil_ssa[8];  // last stencil index for each subphase
+  // first stencil index for each subphase, with last index at end
+  int nstencil_ssa[5];
 };
 
 }