diff --git a/src/atom_fit.F b/src/atom_fit.F
index 5aebc94290..20910ad12b 100644
--- a/src/atom_fit.F
+++ b/src/atom_fit.F
@@ -495,8 +495,8 @@ CONTAINS
       INTEGER, DIMENSION(0:lmat)                         :: ncore
       LOGICAL                                            :: explicit
       REAL(KIND=dp) :: afun, charge, de, deig, drho, dx, eig, fopt, oc, pchg, peig, pv, rcm, rcov, &
-         rmax, semicore_level, t_ener, t_psir0, t_semi, t_valence, t_virt, w_ener, w_node, &
-         w_psir0, w_semi, w_valence, w_virt, wtot
+         rmax, semicore_level, step_size_scaling, t_ener, t_psir0, t_semi, t_valence, t_virt, &
+         w_ener, w_node, w_psir0, w_semi, w_valence, w_virt, wtot
       REAL(KIND=dp), ALLOCATABLE, DIMENSION(:)           :: x, xi
       REAL(KIND=dp), ALLOCATABLE, DIMENSION(:, :)        :: wem
       REAL(KIND=dp), ALLOCATABLE, &
@@ -511,6 +511,7 @@ CONTAINS
       CALL section_vals_val_get(powell_section, "STEP_SIZE", r_val=ostate%rhobeg)
       CALL section_vals_val_get(powell_section, "MAX_FUN", i_val=ostate%maxfun)
       CALL section_vals_val_get(powell_section, "MAX_INIT", i_val=nreinit)
+      CALL section_vals_val_get(powell_section, "STEP_SIZE_SCALING", r_val=step_size_scaling)
 
       CALL section_vals_val_get(powell_section, "WEIGHT_POT_VALENCE", r_val=w_valence)
       CALL section_vals_val_get(powell_section, "WEIGHT_POT_VIRTUAL", r_val=w_virt)
@@ -938,7 +939,7 @@ CONTAINS
          CALL atom_write_pseudo_param(ppot%gth_pot)
          ! dx < SQRT(ostate%rhoend)
          IF ((dx*dx) < ostate%rhoend) EXIT
-         ostate%rhobeg = 0.75_dp*ostate%rhobeg
+         ostate%rhobeg = step_size_scaling*ostate%rhobeg
       END DO
       DEALLOCATE (xi)
 
diff --git a/src/input_cp2k_atom.F b/src/input_cp2k_atom.F
index 91a5ad6fe6..975bc7f8ad 100644
--- a/src/input_cp2k_atom.F
+++ b/src/input_cp2k_atom.F
@@ -1110,6 +1110,13 @@ CONTAINS
       CALL section_add_keyword(section, keyword)
       CALL keyword_release(keyword)
 
+      CALL keyword_create(keyword, name="STEP_SIZE_SCALING", &
+                          description="Scaling of Step Size on re-initialization of Powell method", &
+                          usage="STEP_SIZE_SCALING 0.80", &
+                          default_r_val=0.75_dp)
+      CALL section_add_keyword(section, keyword)
+      CALL keyword_release(keyword)
+
       CALL keyword_create(keyword, name="WEIGHT_POT_VIRTUAL", &
                           description="Weight for virtual states in pseudopotential optimization", &
                           usage="WEIGHT_POT_VIRTUAL 1.0", &