diff --git a/src/cell.c b/src/cell.c
index 33dca559ac58b9ff7ac1b663a807e399ba65fdf7..b42cfccd60283c4ef52e84b11612b0e84cdb1f1c 100644
--- a/src/cell.c
+++ b/src/cell.c
@@ -1921,7 +1921,7 @@ void cell_drift_part(struct cell *c, const struct engine *e, int force) {
     /* Update the time of the last drift */
     c->ti_old_part = ti_current;
 
-  } else if (force && ti_current > ti_old_part) {
+  } else if (!c->split && force && ti_current > ti_old_part) {
 
     /* Loop over all the gas particles in the cell */
     const size_t nr_parts = c->count;