diff --git a/doc/src/pg_developer.rst b/doc/src/pg_developer.rst
index 1886a15af6..65f7c50c44 100644
--- a/doc/src/pg_developer.rst
+++ b/doc/src/pg_developer.rst
@@ -878,9 +878,6 @@ Argument processing
 .. doxygenfunction:: bounds
    :project: progguide
 
-.. doxygenfunction:: boundsbig
-   :project: progguide
-
 .. doxygenfunction:: expand_args
    :project: progguide
 
diff --git a/src/set.cpp b/src/set.cpp
index f18746652e..b4a82e5c72 100644
--- a/src/set.cpp
+++ b/src/set.cpp
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ void Set::selection(int n)
     if (atom->tag_enable == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Cannot use set atom with no atom IDs defined");
     bigint nlobig,nhibig;
-    utils::boundsbig(FLERR,id,1,MAXTAGINT,nlobig,nhibig,error);
+    utils::bounds(FLERR,id,1,MAXTAGINT,nlobig,nhibig,error);
 
     tagint *tag = atom->tag;
     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ void Set::selection(int n)
     if (atom->molecule_flag == 0)
       error->all(FLERR,"Cannot use set mol with no molecule IDs defined");
     bigint nlobig,nhibig;
-    utils::boundsbig(FLERR,id,1,MAXTAGINT,nlobig,nhibig,error);
+    utils::bounds(FLERR,id,1,MAXTAGINT,nlobig,nhibig,error);
 
     tagint *molecule = atom->molecule;
     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index 486a84b601..806ee99d9b 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -359,8 +359,9 @@ tagint utils::tnumeric(const char *file, int line, const char *str,
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    compute bounds implied by numeric str with a possible wildcard asterisk
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+template<>
 void utils::bounds(const char *file, int line, char *str,
-                   int nmin, int nmax, int &nlo, int &nhi, Error *error)
+                   bigint nmin, bigint nmax, int &nlo, int &nhi, Error *error)
 {
   char *ptr = strchr(str,'*');
 
@@ -398,9 +399,10 @@ void utils::bounds(const char *file, int line, char *str,
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    compute bounds implied by numeric str with a possible wildcard asterisk
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-void utils::boundsbig(const char *file, int line, char *str,
-                      bigint nmin, bigint nmax, bigint &nlo, bigint &nhi,
-                      Error *error)
+template <>
+void utils::bounds(const char *file, int line, char *str,
+                   bigint nmin, bigint nmax, bigint &nlo, bigint &nhi,
+                   Error *error)
 {
   char *ptr = strchr(str,'*');
 
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index d8db9815e5..bff1b9efc5 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -162,33 +162,9 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
      * \param nlo      lower bound
      * \param nhi      upper bound
      * \param error    pointer to Error class for out-of-bounds messages */
-
+    template <typename TYPE>
     void bounds(const char *file, int line, char *str,
-                int nmin, int nmax, int &nlo, int &nhi, Error *error);
-
-    /** Compute index bounds derived from a string with a possible wildcard
-     *
-     * This functions processes the string in *str* and set the values of *nlo*
-     * and *nhi* according to the following five cases:
-     *
-     * - a single number, i: nlo = i; nhi = i;
-     * - a single asterisk, \*: nlo = nmin; nhi = nmax;
-     * - a single number followed by an asterisk, i\*: nlo = i; nhi = nmax;
-     * - a single asterisk followed by a number, \*i: nlo = nmin; nhi = i;
-     * - two numbers with an asterisk in between. i\*j: nlo = i; nhi = j;
-     *
-     * \param file     name of source file for error message
-     * \param line     line number in source file for error message
-     * \param str      string to be processed
-     * \param nmin     smallest possible lower bound
-     * \param nmax     largest allowed upper bound
-     * \param nlo      lower bound
-     * \param nhi      upper bound
-     * \param error    pointer to Error class for out-of-bounds messages */
-
-    void boundsbig(const char *file, int line, char *str,
-                   bigint nmin, bigint nmax, bigint &nlo, bigint &nhi,
-                   Error *error);
+                bigint nmin, bigint nmax, TYPE &nlo, TYPE &nhi, Error *error);
 
     /** Expand list of arguments when containing fix/compute wildcards
      *