diff --git a/pystencils/sympyextensions.py b/pystencils/sympyextensions.py
index 31e42224ab19f14895e99d7ba9685b5c33a2ef54..072bb19ae6fe0ba7f719c0ab636e1a9ffd3d7eed 100644
--- a/pystencils/sympyextensions.py
+++ b/pystencils/sympyextensions.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ from sympy.functions import Abs
 from sympy.core.numbers import Zero
 
 from pystencils.assignment import Assignment
-from pystencils.data_types import cast_func, get_base_type, get_type_of_expression
+from pystencils.data_types import cast_func, get_type_of_expression, PointerType
+from pystencils.kernelparameters import FieldPointerSymbol
 
 T = TypeVar('T')
 
@@ -445,7 +446,6 @@ def count_operations(term: Union[sp.Expr, List[sp.Expr]],
 
     result = {'adds': 0, 'muls': 0, 'divs': 0, 'sqrts': 0,
               'fast_sqrts': 0, 'fast_inv_sqrts': 0, 'fast_div': 0}
-
     if isinstance(term, Sequence):
         for element in term:
             r = count_operations(element, only_type)
@@ -455,16 +455,18 @@ def count_operations(term: Union[sp.Expr, List[sp.Expr]],
     elif isinstance(term, Assignment):
         term = term.rhs
 
-    if hasattr(term, 'evalf'):
-        term = term.evalf()
-
     def check_type(e):
         if only_type is None:
             return True
+        if isinstance(e, FieldPointerSymbol) and only_type == "real":
+            return only_type == "int"
+
         try:
-            base_type = get_base_type(get_type_of_expression(e))
+            base_type = get_type_of_expression(e)
         except ValueError:
             return False
+        if isinstance(base_type, PointerType):
+            return only_type == 'int'
         if only_type == 'int' and (base_type.is_int() or base_type.is_uint()):
             return True
         if only_type == 'real' and (base_type.is_float()):
@@ -515,6 +517,9 @@ def count_operations(term: Union[sp.Expr, List[sp.Expr]],
                         result['muls'] += (-int(t.exp)) - 1
                 elif sp.nsimplify(t.exp) == sp.Rational(1, 2):
                     result['sqrts'] += 1
+                elif sp.nsimplify(t.exp) == -sp.Rational(1, 2):
+                    result["sqrts"] += 1
+                    result["divs"] += 1
                 else:
                     warnings.warn(f"Cannot handle exponent {t.exp} of sp.Pow node")
             else:
diff --git a/pystencils_tests/test_simplification_strategy.py b/pystencils_tests/test_simplification_strategy.py
index 5176ae5f49aa45ed952882cb0313d5e5f7754177..b160f432070fa99284297d2cb953325d439b0c0d 100644
--- a/pystencils_tests/test_simplification_strategy.py
+++ b/pystencils_tests/test_simplification_strategy.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def test_simplification_strategy():
 
     result = strategy(ac)
     assert result.operation_count['adds'] == 7
-    assert result.operation_count['muls'] == 5
+    assert result.operation_count['muls'] == 4
     assert result.operation_count['divs'] == 0
 
     # Trigger display routines, such that they are at least executed