diff --git a/timemachine/cpp/src/kernels/k_periodic_torsion.cuh b/timemachine/cpp/src/kernels/k_periodic_torsion.cuh
index f8d4f9f2a..99cc8b8c0 100644
--- a/timemachine/cpp/src/kernels/k_periodic_torsion.cuh
+++ b/timemachine/cpp/src/kernels/k_periodic_torsion.cuh
@@ -38,28 +38,25 @@ void __global__ k_periodic_torsion(
     int k_idx = torsion_idxs[t_idx * 4 + 2];
     int l_idx = torsion_idxs[t_idx * 4 + 3];
 
-    RealType rij[D];
-    RealType rkj[D];
-    RealType rkl[D];
+    RealType r0[D];
+    RealType r1[D];
+    RealType r2[D];
 
-    RealType rkj_norm_square = 0;
+    RealType r1_norm_square = 0;
 
     // (todo) cap to three dims, while keeping stride at 4
     for (int d = 0; d < D; d++) {
-        RealType vij = coords[j_idx * D + d] - coords[i_idx * D + d];
-        RealType vkj = coords[j_idx * D + d] - coords[k_idx * D + d];
-        RealType vkl = coords[l_idx * D + d] - coords[k_idx * D + d];
-        rij[d] = vij;
-        rkj[d] = vkj;
-        rkl[d] = vkl;
-        rkj_norm_square += vkj * vkj;
+        r0[d] = coords[i_idx * D + d] - coords[j_idx * D + d];
+        r1[d] = coords[k_idx * D + d] - coords[j_idx * D + d];
+        r2[d] = coords[k_idx * D + d] - coords[l_idx * D + d];
+        r1_norm_square += r1[d] * r1[d];
     }
 
-    RealType rkj_norm = sqrt(rkj_norm_square);
+    RealType r1_norm = sqrt(r1_norm_square);
     RealType n1[D], n2[D];
 
-    cross_product(rij, rkj, n1);
-    cross_product(rkj, rkl, n2);
+    cross_product(r0, r1, n1);
+    cross_product(r1, r2, n2);
 
     RealType n1_norm_square, n2_norm_square;
 
@@ -74,25 +71,25 @@ void __global__ k_periodic_torsion(
     RealType d_angle_dR1[D];
     RealType d_angle_dR2[D];
 
-    RealType rij_dot_rkj = dot_product(rij, rkj);
-    RealType rkl_dot_rkj = dot_product(rkl, rkj);
+    RealType r0_dot_r1 = dot_product(r0, r1);
+    RealType r2_dot_r1 = dot_product(r2, r1);
 
     for (int d = 0; d < D; d++) {
-        d_angle_dR0[d] = rkj_norm / n1_norm_square * n1[d];
-        d_angle_dR3[d] = -rkj_norm / n2_norm_square * n2[d];
+        d_angle_dR0[d] = r1_norm / n1_norm_square * n1[d];
+        d_angle_dR3[d] = -r1_norm / n2_norm_square * n2[d];
         d_angle_dR1[d] =
-            (rij_dot_rkj / rkj_norm_square - 1) * d_angle_dR0[d] - d_angle_dR3[d] * rkl_dot_rkj / rkj_norm_square;
+            (r0_dot_r1 / r1_norm_square - 1) * d_angle_dR0[d] - d_angle_dR3[d] * r2_dot_r1 / r1_norm_square;
         d_angle_dR2[d] =
-            (rkl_dot_rkj / rkj_norm_square - 1) * d_angle_dR3[d] - d_angle_dR0[d] * rij_dot_rkj / rkj_norm_square;
+            (r2_dot_r1 / r1_norm_square - 1) * d_angle_dR3[d] - d_angle_dR0[d] * r0_dot_r1 / r1_norm_square;
     }
 
-    RealType rkj_n = sqrt(dot_product(rkj, rkj));
+    RealType r1_n = sqrt(dot_product(r1, r1));
 
     for (int d = 0; d < D; d++) {
-        rkj[d] /= rkj_n;
+        r1[d] /= r1_n;
     }
 
-    RealType y = dot_product(n3, rkj);
+    RealType y = dot_product(n3, r1);
     RealType x = dot_product(n1, n2);
     RealType angle = atan2(y, x);
 
@@ -104,7 +101,7 @@ void __global__ k_periodic_torsion(
     RealType phase = params[phase_idx];
     RealType period = params[period_idx];
 
-    RealType prefactor = kt * sin(period * angle - phase) * period;
+    RealType prefactor = -kt * sin(period * angle - phase) * period;
 
     if (du_dx) {
         for (int d = 0; d < D; d++) {
diff --git a/timemachine/potentials/bonded.py b/timemachine/potentials/bonded.py
index f203eae11..3a3ea7ccf 100644
--- a/timemachine/potentials/bonded.py
+++ b/timemachine/potentials/bonded.py
@@ -131,15 +131,15 @@ def harmonic_angle(conf, params, box, angle_idxs):
     return jnp.sum(energies, axis=-1)  # reduce over all angles
 
 
-def signed_torsion_angle(ci, cj, ck, cl):
+def signed_torsion_angle(xa, xb, xc, xd):
     """
     Batch compute the signed angle of a torsion angle.  The torsion angle
     between two planes should be periodic but not necessarily symmetric.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    ci, cj, ck, cl: shape [num_torsions, 3] np.ndarrays
-        atom coordinates defining torsion angle i-j-k-l
+    xa, xb, xc, xd: shape [num_torsions, 3] np.ndarrays
+        atom coordinates defining torsion angle a-b-c-d
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -154,14 +154,17 @@ def signed_torsion_angle(ci, cj, ck, cl):
     # implementation as opposed to the OpenMM energy function to
     # avoid a singularity when the angle is zero.
 
-    rij = cj - ci
-    rkj = cj - ck
-    rkl = cl - ck
+    # (ytz): Feb 4th 2024, switch to OpenMM convention
+    # https://github.com/openmm/openmm/blob/master/platforms/reference/src/SimTKReference/ReferenceProperDihedralBond.cpp#L97C23-L97C32
 
-    n1 = jnp.cross(rij, rkj)
-    n2 = jnp.cross(rkj, rkl)
+    r0 = xa - xb
+    r1 = xc - xb
+    r2 = xc - xd
 
-    y = jnp.sum(jnp.multiply(jnp.cross(n1, n2), rkj / jnp.linalg.norm(rkj, axis=-1, keepdims=True)), axis=-1)
+    n1 = jnp.cross(r0, r1)
+    n2 = jnp.cross(r1, r2)
+
+    y = jnp.sum(jnp.multiply(jnp.cross(n1, n2), r1 / jnp.linalg.norm(r1, axis=-1, keepdims=True)), axis=-1)
     x = jnp.sum(jnp.multiply(n1, n2), -1)
 
     return jnp.arctan2(y, x)