diff --git a/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.cpp b/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.cpp
index ab25e557e4..8e155b4158 100644
--- a/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.cpp
+++ b/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.cpp
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ KOKKOS_INLINE_FUNCTION
 void FixQEqReaxKokkos<DeviceType>::compute_h_item(int ii, int &m_fill, const bool &final) const
 {
   const int i = d_ilist[ii];
-  int j,jj,jtag,jtype,flag;
+  int j,jj,jtype,flag;
 
   if (mask[i] & groupbit) {
 
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ void FixQEqReaxKokkos<DeviceType>::compute_h_item(int ii, int &m_fill, const boo
     const X_FLOAT ytmp = x(i,1);
     const X_FLOAT ztmp = x(i,2);
     const int itype = type(i);
-    const int itag = tag(i);
+    const tagint itag = tag(i);
     const int jnum = d_numneigh[i];
     if (final)
       d_firstnbr[i] = m_fill;
@@ -403,7 +403,6 @@ void FixQEqReaxKokkos<DeviceType>::compute_h_item(int ii, int &m_fill, const boo
     for (jj = 0; jj < jnum; jj++) {
       j = d_neighbors(i,jj);
       j &= NEIGHMASK;
-
       jtype = type(j);
 
       const X_FLOAT delx = x(j,0) - xtmp;
@@ -411,10 +410,11 @@ void FixQEqReaxKokkos<DeviceType>::compute_h_item(int ii, int &m_fill, const boo
       const X_FLOAT delz = x(j,2) - ztmp;
 
       if (neighflag != FULL) {
+        const tagint jtag = tag(j);
         flag = 0;
         if (j < nlocal) flag = 1;
-        else if (tag[i] < tag[j]) flag = 1;
-        else if (tag[i] == tag[j]) {
+        else if (itag < jtag) flag = 1;
+        else if (itag == jtag) {
           if (delz > SMALL) flag = 1;
           else if (fabs(delz) < SMALL) {
             if (dely > SMALL) flag = 1;
diff --git a/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.h b/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.h
index eca0d761b7..9014e20b8e 100644
--- a/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.h
+++ b/src/KOKKOS/fix_qeq_reax_kokkos.h
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ class FixQEqReaxKokkos : public FixQEqReax {
   //typename ArrayTypes<DeviceType>::t_float_1d_randomread mass, q;
   typename ArrayTypes<DeviceType>::t_float_1d_randomread mass;
   typename ArrayTypes<DeviceType>::t_float_1d q;
-  typename ArrayTypes<DeviceType>::t_int_1d type, tag, mask;
+  typename ArrayTypes<DeviceType>::t_int_1d type, mask;
+  typename ArrayTypes<DeviceType>::t_tagint_1d tag;
 
   DAT::tdual_float_1d k_q;
   typename AT::t_float_1d d_q;