diff --git a/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping.hpp b/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping.hpp
index 1cd38c53c..8fc1d1d66 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ namespace Opm {
         typedef std::unique_ptr< TimeStepControlInterface > TimeStepControlType;
 
         TimeStepControlType timeStepControl_; //!< time step control object
-        const double initial_fraction_;       //!< fraction to take as a guess for initial time interval
         const double restart_factor_;         //!< factor to multiply time step with when solver fails to converge
         const double growth_factor_;          //!< factor to multiply time step when solver recovered from failed convergence
         const double max_time_step_;          //!< maximal allowed time step size
diff --git a/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp b/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp
index 7f467c980..fcf595c81 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/timestepping/AdaptiveTimeStepping_impl.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ namespace Opm {
 
     AdaptiveTimeStepping::AdaptiveTimeStepping( const parameter::ParameterGroup& param )
         : timeStepControl_()
-        , initial_fraction_( param.getDefault("solver.initialfraction", double(0.25) ) )
         , restart_factor_( param.getDefault("solver.restartfactor", double(0.1) ) )
         , growth_factor_( param.getDefault("solver.growthfactor", double(1.25) ) )
           // default is 1 year, convert to seconds
@@ -100,9 +99,12 @@ namespace Opm {
 
         // init last time step as a fraction of the given time step
         if( last_timestep_ < 0 ) {
-            last_timestep_ = initial_fraction_ * timestep;
+            last_timestep_ = restart_factor_ * timestep;
         }
 
+        // TODO
+        // take change in well state into account
+
         // create adaptive step timer with previously used sub step size
         AdaptiveSimulatorTimer substepTimer( simulatorTimer, last_timestep_, max_time_step_ );
 
@@ -207,7 +209,7 @@ namespace Opm {
 
 
         // store max of the small time step for next reportStep
-        last_timestep_ = substepTimer.maxStepLength();
+        last_timestep_ = substepTimer.averageStepLength();
         if( timestep_verbose_ )
         {
             substepTimer.report( std::cout );