diff --git a/src/seam-carving.cpp b/src/seam-carving.cpp
index ca239de..5273b07 100644
--- a/src/seam-carving.cpp
+++ b/src/seam-carving.cpp
@@ -252,22 +252,35 @@ void update_energy_along_seam(std::vector<int> opt_seam,
     std::copy(energy.begin(), energy.end(), output_energy.begin());
   } else {
     if (vertical) { // Vertical seam
-      for (auto j = 0; j < height; j++) {
-        for (auto i = -1; i < 2; i++) {
-          if ((0 < (opt_seam[j] + i)) && ((opt_seam[j] + i) < width - 1)) {
-            compute_energy_for_pixel(output_img, (width - 1), height,
-                                     (opt_seam[j] + i), j, nbChannels,
-                                     nbColorChannels, output_energy);
+      for (auto j0 = 0; j0 < height; j0++) {
+        auto i0 = opt_seam[j0];
+        // recompute on a square around i0,j0
+        for (auto i_offset = -max_step - 2; i_offset <= max_step + 2;
+             i_offset++) {
+          for (auto j_offset = -max_step - 2; j_offset <= max_step + 2;
+               j_offset++) {
+            if (((0 < (i0 + i_offset)) && ((i0 + i_offset) < width - 1)) &&
+                ((0 < j0 + j_offset) && (j0 + j_offset < (height)))) {
+              compute_energy_for_pixel(
+                  output_img, (width - 1), height, (i0 + i_offset),
+                  (j0 + j_offset), nbChannels, nbColorChannels, output_energy);
+            }
           }
         }
       }
     } else {
-      for (auto i = 0; i < width; i++) {
-        for (auto j = -1; j < 2; j++) {
-          if ((0 < (opt_seam[i] + j)) && ((opt_seam[i] + j) < height - 1)) {
-            compute_energy_for_pixel(output_img, width, height - 1, i,
-                                     (opt_seam[i] + j), nbChannels,
-                                     nbColorChannels, output_energy);
+      for (auto i0 = 0; i0 < width; i0++) {
+        auto j0 = opt_seam[i0];
+        for (auto j_offset = -max_step - 2; j_offset <= max_step + 2;
+             j_offset++) {
+          for (auto i_offset = -max_step - 2; i_offset <= max_step + 2;
+               i_offset++) {
+            if (((0 < (j0 + j_offset)) && ((j0 + j_offset) < height - 1)) &&
+                ((0 < (i0 + i_offset)) && (i0 + i_offset) < width)) {
+              compute_energy_for_pixel(
+                  output_img, width, height - 1, (i0 + i_offset),
+                  (j0 + j_offset), nbChannels, nbColorChannels, output_energy);
+            }
           }
         }
       }
@@ -463,9 +476,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   }
 
   nbSeams = std::min(
-      nbSeams, vertical
-                   ? width - 1
-                   : height - 1); // We want to keep at least one row or column
+      nbSeams,
+      vertical ? width - 1
+               : height - 1); // We want to keep at least one row or column
 
   auto result = seam_carving(source, width, height, nbChannels, nbSeams,
                              vertical, mask = mask);