diff --git a/src/compute_aggregate_atom.cpp b/src/compute_aggregate_atom.cpp
index f92bf02cba..674fecb8c0 100644
--- a/src/compute_aggregate_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/compute_aggregate_atom.cpp
@@ -120,8 +120,10 @@ void ComputeAggregateAtom::compute_peratom()
   }
 
   // invoke full neighbor list (will copy or build if necessary)
+  // on the first step of a run, set preflag to one in neighbor->build_one(...)
 
-  neighbor->build_one(list);
+  if (update->firststep == update->ntimestep) neighbor->build_one(list,1);
+  else neighbor->build_one(list);
 
   // if group is dynamic, insure ghost atom masks are current
 
diff --git a/src/compute_cluster_atom.cpp b/src/compute_cluster_atom.cpp
index 5ee6368504..9a7df03e49 100644
--- a/src/compute_cluster_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/compute_cluster_atom.cpp
@@ -112,8 +112,10 @@ void ComputeClusterAtom::compute_peratom()
   }
 
   // invoke full neighbor list (will copy or build if necessary)
+  // on the first step of a run, set preflag to one in neighbor->build_one(...)
 
-  neighbor->build_one(list);
+  if (update->firststep == update->ntimestep) neighbor->build_one(list,1);
+  else neighbor->build_one(list);
 
   inum = list->inum;
   ilist = list->ilist;
diff --git a/src/compute_hexorder_atom.cpp b/src/compute_hexorder_atom.cpp
index 013036f364..85324651c1 100644
--- a/src/compute_hexorder_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/compute_hexorder_atom.cpp
@@ -154,8 +154,10 @@ void ComputeHexOrderAtom::compute_peratom()
   }
 
   // invoke full neighbor list (will copy or build if necessary)
+  // on the first step of a run, set preflag to one in neighbor->build_one(...)
 
-  neighbor->build_one(list);
+  if (update->firststep == update->ntimestep) neighbor->build_one(list,1);
+  else neighbor->build_one(list);
 
   inum = list->inum;
   ilist = list->ilist;
diff --git a/src/neighbor.cpp b/src/neighbor.cpp
index 46b921191b..cc2e5d6d11 100644
--- a/src/neighbor.cpp
+++ b/src/neighbor.cpp
@@ -2144,7 +2144,7 @@ void Neighbor::build_one(class NeighList *mylist, int preflag)
 
   NPair *np = neigh_pair[mylist->index];
 
-  if (preflag || update->firststep == update->ntimestep) {
+  if (preflag) {
     if (np->last_build > lastcall) return;
   } else {
     if (np->last_build >= lastcall) return;