diff --git a/src/atom.cpp b/src/atom.cpp
index 95f5406d95..72bdc8a0e7 100644
--- a/src/atom.cpp
+++ b/src/atom.cpp
@@ -1884,11 +1884,19 @@ void Atom::setup_sort_bins()
   // user setting if explicitly set
   // default = 1/2 of neighbor cutoff
   // check if neighbor cutoff = 0.0
+  // and in that case, disable sorting
 
   double binsize;
   if (userbinsize > 0.0) binsize = userbinsize;
-  else binsize = 0.5 * neighbor->cutneighmax;
-  if (binsize == 0.0) error->all(FLERR,"Atom sorting has bin size = 0.0");
+  else if (neighbor->cutneighmax > 0.0) binsize = 0.5 * neighbor->cutneighmax;
+
+  if ((binsize == 0.0) && (sortfreq > 0)) {
+    sortfreq = 0;
+    if (comm->me == 0)
+          error->warning(FLERR,"No pairwise cutoff or binsize set. "
+                         "Atom sorting therefore disabled.");
+    return;
+  }
 
   double bininv = 1.0/binsize;