diff --git a/src/constitutive_plastic_nonlocal.f90 b/src/constitutive_plastic_nonlocal.f90
index 35cc7bdd1..99ccf9ec4 100644
--- a/src/constitutive_plastic_nonlocal.f90
+++ b/src/constitutive_plastic_nonlocal.f90
@@ -320,6 +320,8 @@ module subroutine plastic_nonlocal_init
       prm%fEdgeMultiplication         = config%getFloat('edgemultiplication')
       prm%shortRangeStressCorrection  = config%keyExists('/shortrangestresscorrection/')
 
+      plasticState(p)%nonlocal        = config%KeyExists('/nonlocal/')
+
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 !  sanity checks
       if (any(prm%burgers          <  0.0_pReal)) extmsg = trim(extmsg)//' burgers'
@@ -386,7 +388,6 @@ module subroutine plastic_nonlocal_init
 
     call material_allocateState(plasticState(p),NipcMyPhase,sizeState,sizeDotState,sizeDeltaState)
 
-    plasticState(p)%nonlocal = .true.
     plasticState(p)%offsetDeltaState = 0                                                            ! ToDo: state structure does not follow convention
 
     st0%rho => plasticState(p)%state0                             (0*prm%sum_N_sl+1:10*prm%sum_N_sl,:)