diff --git a/mcxtrace-comps/samples/Single_crystal.comp b/mcxtrace-comps/samples/Single_crystal.comp
index 14ab7b69d8..bb73913c38 100644
--- a/mcxtrace-comps/samples/Single_crystal.comp
+++ b/mcxtrace-comps/samples/Single_crystal.comp
@@ -1490,7 +1490,7 @@ TRACE
   double V0;                        /* Volume of unit cell */
   double l_full;                    /* photon path length for transmission */
   double l;                         /* Path length to scattering event */
-  double abs_xsect, abs_xlen;       /* Absorption cross section and length */
+  double abs_xlen;                  /* Absorption length */
   double inc_xsect, inc_xlen;       /* Incoherent scattering cross section and length */
   double coh_xsect, coh_xlen;       /* Coherent cross section and length */
   double tot_xsect, tot_xlen;       /* Total cross section and length */
@@ -1539,23 +1539,14 @@ TRACE
     ki = sqrt (kx * kx + ky * ky + kz * kz);
     event_counter = 0;
 
-    /*absorption cross-section */
-    abs_xsect = 0;
+    V0 = hkl_info.V0;
+    /* absorption: sigma [cm^2] = atomic_weight [g/mol] / NA [1/mol] * mu [cm^2/g],
+       then * 1e26 -> [fm^2] and / V0 [Angs^3] -> [1/m]. Independent of the barns flag. */
+    abs_xlen = 0;
     if (abs_info.muc) {
       double mu = Table_Value (abs_info.table, ki * K2E, abs_info.muc);
-      abs_xsect = (abs_info.atomic_weight / (6.02214076 * 1E23)) * mu; // this is in cm^2
-      // atomic weight = [g . mol^-1]
-      // Avogadro number = [mol^-1]
-      // mu = [cm squared . g⁻1]
-      // therefore convert to barns if barns set to 1, otherwise to fm^2
-      if (hkl_info.flag_barns) { // convert cm^2 into barns
-        abs_xsect *= 1E24;
-      } else { // convert cm^2 into fm^2, else we assume fm^2
-        abs_xsect *= 1E26;
-      }
+      abs_xlen = abs_info.atomic_weight / NA * mu * 1e26 / V0;
     }
-    V0 = hkl_info.V0;
-    abs_xlen = abs_xsect / V0;
 
     /*look into Compton scattering*/
     inc_xsect = hkl_info.sigma_i;
@@ -1564,7 +1555,6 @@ TRACE
     if (hkl_info.flag_barns) {
       /*If cross sections are given in barns, we need a scaling factor of 100
         to get scattering lengths in m, since V0 is assumed to be in AA*/
-      abs_xlen *= 100;
       inc_xlen *= 100;
     } /* else assume fm^2 */
     L = hkl_list;