diff --git a/src/cell.c b/src/cell.c
index 6a10eaf8cde3f666dd9d2f3638e14a0486d981f3..deadc4d0c7a20b0e69718f5676898e3aa76d6b82 100644
--- a/src/cell.c
+++ b/src/cell.c
@@ -1157,7 +1157,7 @@ void cell_check_multipole(struct cell *c, void *data) {
 
     /* Now  compare the multipole expansion */
     if (!gravity_multipole_equal(&ma, c->multipole, tolerance)) {
-      message("Multipoles are not equal at depth=%d!", c->depth);
+      message("Multipoles are not equal at depth=%d! tol=%f", c->depth, tolerance);
       message("Correct answer:");
       gravity_multipole_print(&ma.m_pole);
       message("Recursive multipole:");
diff --git a/src/multipole.h b/src/multipole.h
index 14e76dbd68983defdbff1f23318d72e4ebdc415f..4268ff6ccc765d28988336987d0bb9ddb4da8297 100644
--- a/src/multipole.h
+++ b/src/multipole.h
@@ -572,6 +572,7 @@ INLINE static int gravity_multipole_equal(const struct gravity_tensors *ga,
     return 0;
   }
 #endif
+  tolerance *= 10.;
 #if SELF_GRAVITY_MULTIPOLE_ORDER > 2
   /* Manhattan Norm of 3rd order terms */
   const float order3_norm =