diff --git a/reconstruction/cvt/src/main/java/org/jlab/rec/cvt/cluster/ClusterFinder.java b/reconstruction/cvt/src/main/java/org/jlab/rec/cvt/cluster/ClusterFinder.java
index ba1568e636..9617c13a58 100644
--- a/reconstruction/cvt/src/main/java/org/jlab/rec/cvt/cluster/ClusterFinder.java
+++ b/reconstruction/cvt/src/main/java/org/jlab/rec/cvt/cluster/ClusterFinder.java
@@ -64,46 +64,49 @@ public ArrayList<Cluster> findClusters(List<Hit> hits2) // the number of strips
                 while (si < nstrip) {
                     // if there's a hit, it's a cluster candidate
                     if (HitArray[si][l][s] != null || (si < nstrip - 1 && HitArray[si + 1][l][s] != null)) { 
-                        // vector of hits in the cluster candidate
-                        ArrayList<Hit> hits = new ArrayList<>();
-
+                        
+                        Cluster this_cluster = null;
+                        
                         // adding all hits in this and all the subsequent
                         // strip until there's a strip with no hit
                         while ((si < nstrip - 1 && HitArray[si + 1][l][s] != null) || (HitArray[si][l][s] != null && si < nstrip)) {
                             if (HitArray[si][l][s] != null) { // continue clustering skipping over bad hit
-                                hits.add(HitArray[si][l][s]);
+                                if (this_cluster == null) {
+                                    Hit seed = HitArray[si][l][s];
+                                    this_cluster = new Cluster(seed.getDetector(), seed.getType(), seed.getSector(), l + 1, cid++);
+                                    this_cluster.setId(clusters.size() + 1);
+                                }
+                                this_cluster.add(HitArray[si][l][s]);
                             }
                             si++;
                         }
+
+                        if (this_cluster != null) {
                     
-                        // define new cluster 
-                        Cluster this_cluster = new Cluster(hits.get(0).getDetector(), hits.get(0).getType(), hits.get(0).getSector(), l + 1, cid++);
-                        this_cluster.setId(clusters.size() + 1);
-                        // add hits to the cluster
-                        this_cluster.addAll(hits); 
-                        if(hits.size()>2) {
-                            for(int hi = 1; hi<hits.size()-1; hi++) { //interpolate between neighboring strips
-                                if(hits.get(hi).getStrip().getEdep()<hits.get(hi-1).getStrip().getEdep()
-                                        && hits.get(hi).getStrip().getEdep()<hits.get(hi+1).getStrip().getEdep()) {
-                                    hits.get(hi).getStrip().setEdep(0.5*(hits.get(hi-1).getStrip().getEdep()+hits.get(hi+1).getStrip().getEdep()));
+                            if (this_cluster.size() > 2) {
+                                for(int hi = 1; hi<this_cluster.size()-1; hi++) { //interpolate between neighboring strips
+                                    if(this_cluster.get(hi).getStrip().getEdep()<this_cluster.get(hi-1).getStrip().getEdep()
+                                            && this_cluster.get(hi).getStrip().getEdep()<this_cluster.get(hi+1).getStrip().getEdep()) {
+                                        this_cluster.get(hi).getStrip().setEdep(0.5*(this_cluster.get(hi-1).getStrip().getEdep()+this_cluster.get(hi+1).getStrip().getEdep()));
+                                    }
                                 }
                             }
+                            for (Hit h : this_cluster) {
+                                h.setAssociatedClusterID(this_cluster.getId());
+                                //h.newClustering = true; //RDV fix me!
+                            }
+                            
+                            this_cluster.calc_CentroidParams();
+                            //if(this_cluster.getDetector()==DetectorType.BST) {
+                            //    for (Hit h : this_cluster) {
+                            //        h.newClustering = false;
+                            //    }
+                            //}
+                            Collections.sort(this_cluster);
+                            
+                            //make list of clusters
+                            clusters.add(this_cluster);
                         }
-                        for (Hit h : hits) {
-                            h.setAssociatedClusterID(this_cluster.getId());
-                            //h.newClustering = true; //RDV fix me!
-                        }
-                        
-                        this_cluster.calc_CentroidParams();
-                        //if(this_cluster.getDetector()==DetectorType.BST) {
-                        //    for (Hit h : this_cluster) {
-                        //        h.newClustering = false;
-                        //    }
-                        //}
-                        Collections.sort(this_cluster);
-                       
-                        //make list of clusters
-                        clusters.add(this_cluster);
                     }
                     
                     // if no hits, check for next wire coordinate