diff --git a/TESTING/EIG/dchkbl.f b/TESTING/EIG/dchkbl.f
index bfa4d0f62..4cf312317 100644
--- a/TESTING/EIG/dchkbl.f
+++ b/TESTING/EIG/dchkbl.f
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 *
       DO 50 I = 1, N
          DO 40 J = 1, N
-            TEMP = MAX( A( I, J ), AIN( I, J ) )
+            TEMP = MAX( ABS( A( I, J ) ), ABS( AIN( I, J ) ) )
             TEMP = MAX( TEMP, SFMIN )
             VMAX = MAX( VMAX, ABS( A( I, J )-AIN( I, J ) ) / TEMP )
    40    CONTINUE
diff --git a/TESTING/EIG/schkbl.f b/TESTING/EIG/schkbl.f
index ba8356477..8a43a1dc0 100644
--- a/TESTING/EIG/schkbl.f
+++ b/TESTING/EIG/schkbl.f
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 *
       DO 50 I = 1, N
          DO 40 J = 1, N
-            TEMP = MAX( A( I, J ), AIN( I, J ) )
+            TEMP = MAX( ABS( A( I, J ) ), ABS( AIN( I, J ) ) )
             TEMP = MAX( TEMP, SFMIN )
             VMAX = MAX( VMAX, ABS( A( I, J )-AIN( I, J ) ) / TEMP )
    40    CONTINUE