diff --git a/src/states/states_elec.F90 b/src/states/states_elec.F90
index a56add3b5c29e7c71899db07000f67b50e3a302c..767a56eb016247c661a18155f4fda7dca14fc8b4 100644
--- a/src/states/states_elec.F90
+++ b/src/states/states_elec.F90
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ module states_elec_oct_m
     states_elec_calc_quantities,           &
     state_is_local,                        &
     state_kpt_is_local,                    &
+    kpt_is_local,                          &
     states_elec_choose_kpoints,            &
     states_elec_distribute_nodes,          &
     states_elec_wfns_memory,               &
@@ -2324,12 +2325,25 @@ contains
 
     PUSH_SUB(state_kpt_is_local)
 
-    state_kpt_is_local = ist >= st%st_start .and. ist <= st%st_end .and. &
-      ik >= st%d%kpt%start .and. ik <= st%d%kpt%end
+    state_kpt_is_local = state_is_local(st, ist) .and. kpt_is_local(st, ik)
 
     POP_SUB(state_kpt_is_local)
   end function state_kpt_is_local
 
+  ! ---------------------------------------------------------
+  !> check whether a given kpoint (ik) is on the local node
+  !
+  logical function kpt_is_local(st, ik)
+    type(states_elec_t), intent(in) :: st
+    integer,             intent(in) :: ik
+
+    PUSH_SUB(kpt_is_local)
+
+    kpt_is_local = ik >= st%d%kpt%start .and. ik <= st%d%kpt%end
+
+    POP_SUB(kpt_is_local)
+  end function kpt_is_local
+
 
   ! ---------------------------------------------------------
   !> return the memory usage of a states_elec_t object