diff --git a/src/apps/molresponse/ExcitedResponse.cpp b/src/apps/molresponse/ExcitedResponse.cpp
index c3e1f466e87..168c5c88043 100644
--- a/src/apps/molresponse/ExcitedResponse.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/molresponse/ExcitedResponse.cpp
@@ -2161,7 +2161,7 @@ auto ExcitedResponse::update_response(World &world, X_space &Chi, XCOperator<dou
     // kain if iteration >0 or first run where there should not be a problem
     // computed new_chi and res
     if (r_params.kain() && (iter > 0) && true) {
-        new_chi = kain_x_space_update(world, rotated_chi, new_res, kain_x_space);
+        new_chi = kain_x_space_update(world, rotated_chi, new_res, kain_x_space, 1e-8);
     }
     if (false) { x_space_step_restriction(world, rotated_chi, new_chi, compute_y, maxrotn); }
 
diff --git a/src/apps/molresponse/FrequencyResponse.cpp b/src/apps/molresponse/FrequencyResponse.cpp
index 5ff1bd52d11..527548962e9 100644
--- a/src/apps/molresponse/FrequencyResponse.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/molresponse/FrequencyResponse.cpp
@@ -69,16 +69,7 @@ void FrequencyResponse::iterate(World &world) {
     auto bsh_x_ops = make_bsh_operators_response(world, x_shifts, omega);
     std::vector<poperatorT> bsh_y_ops;
     bsh_y_ops = (compute_y) ? make_bsh_operators_response(world, y_shifts, -omega) : bsh_x_ops;
-    auto max_rotation = .5;
-    if (thresh >= 1e-2) {
-        max_rotation = 2;
-    } else if (thresh >= 1e-4) {
-        max_rotation = 2 * x_residual_target;
-    } else if (thresh >= 1e-6) {
-        max_rotation = 2 * x_residual_target;
-    } else if (thresh >= 1e-7) {
-        max_rotation = .01;
-    }
+    auto max_rotation = .25 * x_residual_target + x_residual_target;
     PQ = generator(world, *this);
     PQ.truncate();
 
@@ -280,7 +271,7 @@ auto FrequencyResponse::update_response(World &world, X_space &chi, XCOperator<d
     auto [new_res, bsh] = update_residual(world, chi, new_chi, r_params.calc_type(), old_residuals, xres_old);
     inner_to_json(world, "r_x", response_context.inner(new_res, new_res), iter_function_data);
     if (iteration >= 0) {// & (iteration % 3 == 0)) {
-        new_chi = kain_x_space_update(world, chi, new_res, kain_x_space);
+        new_chi = kain_x_space_update(world, chi, new_res, kain_x_space, max_rotation);
     }
     inner_to_json(world, "x_update", response_context.inner(new_chi, new_chi), iter_function_data);
 
diff --git a/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.cpp b/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.cpp
index 625a3406c6a..106adf06813 100644
--- a/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.cpp
@@ -1174,24 +1174,42 @@ auto ResponseBase::update_residual(World &world, const X_space &chi, const X_spa
 }
 
 auto ResponseBase::kain_x_space_update(World &world, const X_space &chi, const X_space &residual_chi,
-                                       response_solver &kain_x_space) -> X_space {
+                                       response_solver &kain_x_space, double max_rotation) -> X_space {
     if (r_params.print_level() >= 1) { molresponse::start_timer(world); }
     size_t m = chi.num_states();
     size_t n = chi.num_orbitals();
     X_space kain_update = chi.copy();
     response_matrix update(m);
 
+    // compute the norm of the residuals
+
+
+    Tensor<double> residual_norms(m);
+
     bool compute_y = r_params.omega() != 0.0;
     if (compute_y) {
         auto x_vectors = to_response_matrix(chi);
         auto x_residuals = to_response_matrix(residual_chi);
+        // compute the norm of the residuals
+        for (const auto &b: chi.active) { residual_norms(b) = norm2(world, x_residuals[b]); }// / norm2(world, gx[b]); }
+
         for (const auto &i: Chi.active) {
-            auto temp = kain_x_space[i].update(x_vectors[i], x_residuals[i]);
-            std::copy(temp.begin(), temp.begin() + n, kain_update.x[i].begin());
-            std::copy(temp.begin() + n, temp.end(), kain_update.y[i].begin());
+            if (residual_norms(i) > max_rotation) {
+                auto temp = kain_x_space[i].update(x_vectors[i], x_residuals[i]);
+                std::copy(temp.begin(), temp.begin() + n, kain_update.x[i].begin());
+                std::copy(temp.begin() + n, temp.end(), kain_update.y[i].begin());
+            }
         };
     } else {
-        for (const auto &i: Chi.active) { kain_update.x[i] = kain_x_space[i].update(chi.x[i], residual_chi.x[i]); }
+        // first compute the residuals
+        for (const auto &b: chi.active) {
+            residual_norms(b) = norm2(world, residual_chi.x[b]);
+        }// / norm2(world, g_chi.x[b]); }
+        for (const auto &i: Chi.active) {
+            if (residual_norms(i) > max_rotation) {
+                kain_update.x[i] = kain_x_space[i].update(chi.x[i], residual_chi.x[i]);
+            }
+        }
     }
     if (r_params.print_level() >= 1) { molresponse::end_timer(world, "kain_x_update", "kain_x_update", iter_timing); }
     return kain_update;
diff --git a/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.hpp b/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.hpp
index 6031a24ca60..1cd2785320e 100644
--- a/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.hpp
+++ b/src/apps/molresponse/ResponseBase.hpp
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ class ResponseBase {
 
 
     auto kain_x_space_update(World &world, const X_space &chi, const X_space &residual_chi,
-                             response_solver &kain_x_space) -> X_space;
+                             response_solver &kain_x_space, double max_rotation) -> X_space;
 
     void x_space_step_restriction(World &world, const X_space &old_Chi, X_space &temp, bool restrict_y,
                                   const double &max_bsh_rotation);