diff --git a/apps/tutorials/pe/02_ConfinedGasExtended.cfg b/apps/tutorials/pe/02_ConfinedGasExtended.cfg
index 06f681aa9a8881d1619ea01b562fcc0c4af86aca..1e1b9eb004a06fb94697ee26020344eeed99cf0a 100644
--- a/apps/tutorials/pe/02_ConfinedGasExtended.cfg
+++ b/apps/tutorials/pe/02_ConfinedGasExtended.cfg
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ Raytracing
    lookAt < -5, 10, 10 >;
    upVector < 0, 0, 1 >;
    antiAliasFactor 2;
-   blockAABBIntersectionPadding 0.8;
    reductionMethod MPI_REDUCE;
    Lighting {
       pointLightOrigin < -10, 10, 15 >;
diff --git a/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.cpp b/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.cpp
index eceba32b64d2fe30bb41207d4a9c9ff48ca51ad6..cc55068e192bc63816936f8a4281b45941d47506 100644
--- a/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.cpp
+++ b/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.cpp
@@ -62,9 +62,6 @@ void BodyIntersectionInfo_Comparator_MPI_OP( BodyIntersectionInfo *in, BodyInter
  * \param lookAtPoint Point the camera looks at in the global world frame.
  * \param upVector Vector indicating the upwards direction of the camera.
  * \param backgroundColor Background color of the scene.
- * \param blockAABBIntersectionPadding The padding applied in block AABB intersection pretesting.
- *                                     Set it to the value of the farthest distance a object might protrude from
- *                                     its containing block.
  * \param bodyToShadingParamsFunc A function mapping a BodyID to ShadingParameters for this body.
  *                                This can be used to customize the color and shading of bodies.
  * \param isBodyVisibleFunc A function which returns a boolean indicating if a given body should be visible
@@ -78,7 +75,6 @@ Raytracer::Raytracer(const shared_ptr<BlockStorage> forest, const BlockDataID st
                      const Vec3& cameraPosition, const Vec3& lookAtPoint, const Vec3& upVector,
                      const Lighting& lighting,
                      const Color& backgroundColor,
-                     real_t blockAABBIntersectionPadding,
                      std::function<ShadingParameters (const BodyID)> bodyToShadingParamsFunc,
                      std::function<bool (const BodyID)> isBodyVisibleFunc)
    : forest_(forest), storageID_(storageID), globalBodyStorage_(globalBodyStorage), ccdID_(ccdID),
@@ -87,7 +83,6 @@ Raytracer::Raytracer(const shared_ptr<BlockStorage> forest, const BlockDataID st
    cameraPosition_(cameraPosition), lookAtPoint_(lookAtPoint), upVector_(upVector),
    lighting_(lighting),
    backgroundColor_(backgroundColor),
-   blockAABBIntersectionPadding_(blockAABBIntersectionPadding),
    imageOutputEnabled_(true),
    localImageOutputEnabled_(false),
    imageOutputDirectory_("."),
@@ -118,8 +113,7 @@ Raytracer::Raytracer(const shared_ptr<BlockStorage> forest, const BlockDataID st
  *
  * The config block has to contain image_x (int), image_y (int) and fov_vertical (real, in degrees).
  * Additionally a vector of reals for each of cameraPosition, lookAt and the upVector for the view setup are required.
- * Optional is antiAliasFactor (uint, usually between 1 and 4) for supersampling, blockAABBIntersectionPadding (real)
- * and backgroundColor (Vec3).
+ * Optional is antiAliasFactor (uint, usually between 1 and 4) for supersampling and backgroundColor (Vec3).
  * For image output after raytracing, set image_output_directory (string); for local image output additionally set
  * local_image_output_enabled (bool) to true. outputFilenameTimestepZeroPadding (int) sets the zero padding
  * for timesteps in output filenames.
@@ -162,8 +156,6 @@ Raytracer::Raytracer(const shared_ptr<BlockStorage> forest, const BlockDataID st
    lighting_ = Lighting(config.getBlock("Lighting"));
    backgroundColor_ = config.getParameter<Color>("backgroundColor", Vec3(real_t(0.1), real_t(0.1), real_t(0.1)));
 
-   blockAABBIntersectionPadding_ = config.getParameter<real_t>("blockAABBIntersectionPadding", real_t(0.0));
-
    std::string raytracingAlgorithm = config.getParameter<std::string>("raytracingAlgorithm", "RAYTRACE_HASHGRIDS");
    if (raytracingAlgorithm == "RAYTRACE_HASHGRIDS") {
       setRaytracingAlgorithm(RAYTRACE_HASHGRIDS);
diff --git a/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.h b/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.h
index 4d64a371f3e6eae4b61c93c8adaf434f2720cc66..78fde4b90e06bfb22ec30f6f054f018a04ce445d 100644
--- a/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.h
+++ b/src/pe/raytracing/Raytracer.h
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ public:
                       const Vec3& cameraPosition, const Vec3& lookAtPoint, const Vec3& upVector,
                       const Lighting& lighting,
                       const Color& backgroundColor = Color(real_t(0.1), real_t(0.1), real_t(0.1)),
-                      real_t blockAABBIntersectionPadding = real_t(0.0),
                       std::function<ShadingParameters (const BodyID)> bodyToShadingParamsFunc = defaultBodyTypeDependentShadingParams,
                       std::function<bool (const BodyID)> isBodyVisibleFunc = defaultIsBodyVisible);
 
@@ -119,8 +118,6 @@ private:
    Vec3 upVector_;            //!< The vector indicating the upwards direction of the camera.
    Lighting lighting_;        //!< The lighting of the scene.
    Color backgroundColor_;    //!< Background color of the scene.
-   real_t blockAABBIntersectionPadding_; /*!< The padding applied in block AABB intersection pretesting, as
-                                          * some objects within a block might protrude from the block's AABB.*/
    
    bool imageOutputEnabled_;  //!< Enable / disable writing images to file.
    bool localImageOutputEnabled_; //!< Enable / disable writing images of the local process to file.
@@ -445,14 +442,6 @@ inline void Raytracer::traceRayNaively(const Ray& ray, BodyID& body_closest, rea
    IntersectsFunctor func(ray, t, n);
    
    for (auto blockIt = forest_->begin(); blockIt != forest_->end(); ++blockIt) {
-      const AABB& blockAabb = blockIt->getAABB();
-      
-#if !defined(DISABLE_BLOCK_AABB_INTERSECTION_PRECHECK)
-      if (!intersects(blockAabb, ray, t, blockAABBIntersectionPadding_)) {
-         continue;
-      }
-#endif
-      
       for (auto bodyIt = LocalBodyIterator::begin(*blockIt, storageID_); bodyIt != LocalBodyIterator::end(); ++bodyIt) {
          if (!isBodyVisibleFunc_(*bodyIt)) {
             continue;
@@ -482,16 +471,9 @@ inline void Raytracer::traceRayInHashGrids(const Ray& ray, BodyID& body_closest,
    Vec3 n;
    
    for (auto blockIt = forest_->begin(); blockIt != forest_->end(); ++blockIt) {
-      const AABB& blockAabb = blockIt->getAABB();
-      
-#if !defined(DISABLE_BLOCK_AABB_INTERSECTION_PRECHECK)
-      if (!intersects(blockAabb, ray, t, blockAABBIntersectionPadding_)) {
-         continue;
-      }
-#endif
-      
-      ccd::HashGrids* hashgrids = blockIt->uncheckedFastGetData<ccd::HashGrids>(ccdID_);
-      BodyID body = hashgrids->getClosestBodyIntersectingWithRay<BodyTypeTuple>(ray, blockAabb, t, n,
+      const AABB& blockAABB = blockIt->getAABB();
+      const ccd::HashGrids* hashgrids = blockIt->uncheckedFastGetData<ccd::HashGrids>(ccdID_);
+      BodyID body = hashgrids->getClosestBodyIntersectingWithRay<BodyTypeTuple>(ray, blockAABB, t, n,
                                                                                 isBodyVisibleFunc_);
       if (body != NULL && t < t_closest) {
          t_closest = t;
diff --git a/tests/pe/Raytracing.cpp b/tests/pe/Raytracing.cpp
index b3910f5501ae4a0695714fc4075c6500cb8a334d..ae75c447f71cb202c20717df76a1ea6f534a8cb2 100644
--- a/tests/pe/Raytracing.cpp
+++ b/tests/pe/Raytracing.cpp
@@ -250,7 +250,6 @@ void RaytracerTest(Raytracer::Algorithm raytracingAlgorithm = Raytracer::RAYTRAC
                        Vec3(-5,5,5), Vec3(-1,5,5), Vec3(0,0,1), //-5,5,5; -1,5,5
                        lighting,
                        Color(real_t(0.2), real_t(0.2), real_t(0.2)),
-                       real_t(2),
                        customBodyToShadingParams);
    
    MaterialID iron = Material::find("iron");