diff --git a/modules/mol/base/src/impl/dihedral.cc b/modules/mol/base/src/impl/dihedral.cc
index ee26230be4e4df8793885f133855051c48e980a9..2c8c003c43f4fdcb46b357aaad022220d9dd2cbd 100644
--- a/modules/mol/base/src/impl/dihedral.cc
+++ b/modules/mol/base/src/impl/dihedral.cc
@@ -125,26 +125,29 @@ void Dihedral::SetAngleICS(Real angle, bool update_other) {
   // not all connectors are living in the same coordinate system. We first
   // have to bring all of them into the local coordinate system of a3.
   if (a2->GetPrimaryConnector() && a2->GetPrimaryConnector()->GetFirst()==a1) {
-      v1=geom::Vec3(0, 0,-1)*conn2->GetLocalRot();
-      v2=geom::Vec3(0, 0, 1);
-      ConnectorImplP c=GetConnector(a4, a3);
-      v3=c->GetDir();
-      Real phi1=atan2(v1[1], v1[0]);
-      geom::Vec3 n3=vec_for_angle(v3, angle+phi1);
-      c->SetDir(n3);
-      // check if we have to update the other connectors
-      const ConnectorImplList& sc=a3->GetSecondaryConnectors();
-      if (update_other && sc.size()>1) {
-        Real phi2=(angle-phi1)-atan2(v3[1], v3[0]);
-        for (ConnectorImplList::const_iterator i=sc.begin(); i!=sc.end(); ++i) {
-          if (*i==c)
-            continue;
-          geom::Vec3 v=(*i)->GetDir();
-          Real phi4=phi2+atan2(v[1], v[0]);
-          geom::Vec3 n=vec_for_angle(v, phi4);
-          (*i)->SetDir(n);
-        }
+    // equivalent to geom::Transpose(conn2->GetLocalRot()) * geom::Vec3(0,0,-1)
+    v1=geom::Vec3(0, 0,-1)*conn2->GetLocalRot();
+    ConnectorImplP c=GetConnector(a4, a3);
+    v2=c->GetDir();
+    Real phi1 = 0.0;
+    if(std::abs(v1[1]) + std::abs(v1[0]) > Real(1e-6)) phi1=atan2(v1[1], v1[0]);
+    geom::Vec3 n2=vec_for_angle(v2, angle+phi1);
+    c->SetDir(n2);
+    // check if we have to update the other connectors
+    const ConnectorImplList& sc=a3->GetSecondaryConnectors();
+    if (update_other && sc.size()>1) {
+      Real phi2=(angle-phi1);
+      if(std::abs(v2[1]) + std::abs(v2[0]) > Real(1e-6)) phi2-=atan2(v2[1], v2[0]);
+      for (ConnectorImplList::const_iterator i=sc.begin(); i!=sc.end(); ++i) {
+        if (*i==c)
+          continue;
+        v3=(*i)->GetDir();
+        Real phi3=phi2;
+        if(std::abs(v3[1]) + std::abs(v3[0]) > Real(1e-6)) phi3+=atan2(v3[1], v3[0]);
+        geom::Vec3 n=vec_for_angle(v3, phi3);
+        (*i)->SetDir(n);
       }
+    }
   }
 }