diff --git a/src/geohash_helper.c b/src/geohash_helper.c
index 77d8ab392..e23f17b4e 100644
--- a/src/geohash_helper.c
+++ b/src/geohash_helper.c
@@ -85,7 +85,21 @@ uint8_t geohashEstimateStepsByRadius(double range_meters, double lat) {
 /* Return the bounding box of the search area centered at latitude,longitude
  * having a radius of radius_meter. bounds[0] - bounds[2] is the minimum
  * and maxium longitude, while bounds[1] - bounds[3] is the minimum and
- * maximum latitude. */
+ * maximum latitude.
+ *
+ * This function does not behave correctly with very large radius values, for
+ * instance for the coordinates 81.634948934258375 30.561509253718668 and a
+ * radius of 7083 kilometers, it reports as bounding boxes:
+ *
+ * min_lon 7.680495, min_lat -33.119473, max_lon 155.589402, max_lat 94.242491
+ *
+ * However, for instance, a min_lon of 7.680495 is not correct, because the
+ * point -1.27579540014266968 61.33421815228281559 is at less than 7000
+ * kilometers away.
+ *
+ * Since this function is currently only used as an optimization, the
+ * optimization is not used for very big radiuses, however the function
+ * should be fixed. */
 int geohashBoundingBox(double longitude, double latitude, double radius_meters,
                        double *bounds) {
     if (!bounds) return 0;
@@ -154,25 +168,27 @@ GeoHashRadius geohashGetAreasByRadius(double longitude, double latitude, double
     }
 
     /* Exclude the search areas that are useless. */
-    if (area.latitude.min < min_lat) {
-        GZERO(neighbors.south);
-        GZERO(neighbors.south_west);
-        GZERO(neighbors.south_east);
-    }
-    if (area.latitude.max > max_lat) {
-        GZERO(neighbors.north);
-        GZERO(neighbors.north_east);
-        GZERO(neighbors.north_west);
-    }
-    if (area.longitude.min < min_lon) {
-        GZERO(neighbors.west);
-        GZERO(neighbors.south_west);
-        GZERO(neighbors.north_west);
-    }
-    if (area.longitude.max > max_lon) {
-        GZERO(neighbors.east);
-        GZERO(neighbors.south_east);
-        GZERO(neighbors.north_east);
+    if (steps >= 2) {
+        if (area.latitude.min < min_lat) {
+            GZERO(neighbors.south);
+            GZERO(neighbors.south_west);
+            GZERO(neighbors.south_east);
+        }
+        if (area.latitude.max > max_lat) {
+            GZERO(neighbors.north);
+            GZERO(neighbors.north_east);
+            GZERO(neighbors.north_west);
+        }
+        if (area.longitude.min < min_lon) {
+            GZERO(neighbors.west);
+            GZERO(neighbors.south_west);
+            GZERO(neighbors.north_west);
+        }
+        if (area.longitude.max > max_lon) {
+            GZERO(neighbors.east);
+            GZERO(neighbors.south_east);
+            GZERO(neighbors.north_east);
+        }
     }
     radius.hash = hash;
     radius.neighbors = neighbors;
diff --git a/tests/unit/geo.tcl b/tests/unit/geo.tcl
index fdbfbf139..604697be4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/geo.tcl
+++ b/tests/unit/geo.tcl
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ proc compare_lists {List1 List2} {
 #
 # The format is: seed km lon lat
 set regression_vectors {
+    {1482225976969 7083 81.634948934258375 30.561509253718668}
+    {1482340074151 5416 -70.863281847379767 -46.347003465679947}
+    {1499014685896 6064 -89.818768962202014 -40.463868561416803}
     {1412 156 149.29737817929004 15.95807862745508}
     {441574 143 59.235461856813856 66.269555127373678}
     {160645 187 -101.88575239939883 49.061997951502917}