diff --git a/Z4cow/src/enforce.cxx b/Z4cow/src/enforce.cxx
index 7fcfab52..3072c6ac 100644
--- a/Z4cow/src/enforce.cxx
+++ b/Z4cow/src/enforce.cxx
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ extern "C" void Z4cow_Enforce(CCTK_ARGUMENTS) {
         // Enforce algebraic constraints
         // See arXiv:1212.2901 [gr-qc].
         const vreal detgammat_old = calc_det(gammat_old);
-        const vreal W1_old = pown(detgammat_old, -1.0 / 6.0);
+        const vreal W1_old = 1 / sqrt(cbrt(detgammat_old));
         const smat<vreal, 3> gammat([&](int a, int b) ARITH_INLINE {
           return W1_old * W1_old * gammat_old(a, b);
         });
diff --git a/Z4cow/src/initial1.cxx b/Z4cow/src/initial1.cxx
index 687c1304..0a51704b 100644
--- a/Z4cow/src/initial1.cxx
+++ b/Z4cow/src/initial1.cxx
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ extern "C" void Z4cow_Initial1(CCTK_ARGUMENTS) {
         const vreal detg = calc_det(g);
         const smat<vreal, 3> gu = calc_inv(g, detg);
 
-        const vreal W = pown(detg, -1.0 / 6.0);
+        const vreal W = 1 / sqrt(cbrt(detg));
         const smat<vreal, 3> gammat(
             [&](int a, int b) ARITH_INLINE { return W * W * g(a, b); });
         const vreal trK = sum_symm<3>(