diff --git a/applications/test/surfaceTree/Make/files b/applications/test/surfaceTree/Make/files
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c877c9c1b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/surfaceTree/Make/files
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Test-surfaceTree.C
+
+EXE = $(FOAM_USER_APPBIN)/Test-surfaceTree
diff --git a/applications/test/surfaceTree/Make/options b/applications/test/surfaceTree/Make/options
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b6fa4bff16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/surfaceTree/Make/options
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+EXE_INC = \
+    -I$(LIB_SRC)/fileFormats/lnInclude \
+    -I$(LIB_SRC)/surfMesh/lnInclude \
+    -I$(LIB_SRC)/meshTools/lnInclude
+
+EXE_LIBS = \
+    -lfileFormats \
+    -lsurfMesh \
+    -lmeshTools
diff --git a/applications/test/surfaceTree/Test-surfaceTree.C b/applications/test/surfaceTree/Test-surfaceTree.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e79b6431dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/surfaceTree/Test-surfaceTree.C
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | www.openfoam.com
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    Copyright (C) 2022 OpenCFD Ltd.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Application
+    Test-surfaceTree
+
+Description
+    Simple tests for building indexedOctree etc.
+
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#include "argList.H"
+#include "clockTime.H"
+#include "MeshedSurfaces.H"
+#include "indexedOctree.H"
+#include "AABBTree.H"
+#include "treeDataPrimitivePatch.H"
+#include "Random.H"
+#include "ListListOps.H"
+
+using namespace Foam;
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+// Main program:
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    argList::addNote
+    (
+        "Test octree building etc"
+    );
+
+    argList::noBanner();
+    argList::noParallel();
+    argList::addArgument("input", "The input surface file");
+
+    argList::addOption("maxLevel", "int", "The max level");
+    argList::addOption("leafSize", "int", "The min leaf size");
+    argList::addBoolOption("AABB", "AABBTree instead of indexedOctree");
+
+    argList args(argc, argv);
+
+    const auto importName = args.get<fileName>(1);
+
+    const bool useAABB = args.found("AABB");
+
+    label maxLevel = 10;
+    label leafSize = 10;
+
+    if (useAABB)
+    {
+        // May want different settings..
+    }
+
+    args.readIfPresent("maxLevel", maxLevel);
+    args.readIfPresent("leafSize", leafSize);
+
+    meshedSurface surf(importName);
+
+    Random rndGen(123456);
+
+    treeBoundBox overallBb
+    (
+        treeBoundBox(surf.box()).extend(rndGen, 1e-4, ROOTVSMALL)
+    );
+
+    Info<< "Surface with " << surf.size() << " faces, "
+        << surf.nPoints() << " points" << endl;
+
+
+    clockTime timing;
+
+    if (useAABB)
+    {
+        AABBTree<face> tree
+        (
+            surf,
+            surf.points(),
+            true,       // Equal bins
+            maxLevel,   // maxLevel
+            leafSize    // minLeafSize
+        );
+
+        Info<< "Built AABBTree, maxLevel:" << maxLevel
+            << " minLeaf:" << leafSize
+            << " with " << tree.boundBoxes().size()
+            << " leaves - " << timing.elapsedTime() << 's' << endl;
+
+        {
+            OFstream os("AABBTree.obj");
+            tree.writeOBJ(os);
+
+            Info<< "Wrote " << os.name() << endl;
+        }
+
+        // Info<< "sizes: ";
+        // ListListOps::subSizes
+        // (
+        //     tree.addressing(),
+        //     identityOp{}
+        // ).writeList(Info) << endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        indexedOctree<treeDataPrimitivePatch<meshedSurface>> tree
+        (
+            treeDataPrimitivePatch<meshedSurface>(surf, 1e-6),
+            overallBb,
+            maxLevel,   // maxLevel
+            leafSize,   // leafSize
+            3.0         // duplicity
+        );
+
+        Info<< "Built octree, maxLevel:" << maxLevel
+            << " minLeaf:" << leafSize
+            << " with " << tree.nodes().size()
+            << " nodes, " << tree.nLeafs()
+            << " leaves - " << timing.elapsedTime() << 's' << endl;
+
+        {
+            OFstream os("indexedOctree.obj");
+            tree.writeOBJ(os);
+
+            Info<< "Wrote " << os.name() << endl;
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    Info<< "\nEnd\n" << endl;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/algorithms/AABBTree/AABBTree.C b/src/OpenFOAM/algorithms/AABBTree/AABBTree.C
index 6b760ff35d..8bbac68837 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/algorithms/AABBTree/AABBTree.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/algorithms/AABBTree/AABBTree.C
@@ -141,39 +141,36 @@ void Foam::AABBTree<Type>::createBoxes
     // Assign the objects to min or max bin
 
     DynamicList<label> minBinObjectIDs(objectIDs.size());
-    treeBoundBox minBb;
-
     DynamicList<label> maxBinObjectIDs(objectIDs.size());
+
+    treeBoundBox minBb;
     treeBoundBox maxBb;
 
     for (const label objI : objectIDs)
     {
         const Type& obj = objects[objI];
 
-        bool intoMin = false;
-        bool intoMax = false;
+        bool addMin = false;
+        bool addMax = false;
 
-        for (const label pointI : obj)
+        for (const label pointi : obj)
         {
-            const point& pt = points[pointI];
-            if (pt[maxDir] < divMin)
-            {
-                intoMin = true;
-            }
-            if (pt[maxDir] > divMax)
-            {
-                intoMax = true;
-            }
+            const scalar& cmptValue = points[pointi][maxDir];
+
+            addMin = addMin || (cmptValue < divMin);
+            addMax = addMax || (cmptValue > divMax);
+
+            if (addMin && addMax) break;
         }
 
         // Note: object is inserted into both min/max child boxes (duplicated)
         // if it crosses the bin boundaries
-        if (intoMin)
+        if (addMin)
         {
             minBinObjectIDs.append(objI);
             minBb.add(points, obj);
         }
-        if (intoMax)
+        if (addMax)
         {
             maxBinObjectIDs.append(objI);
             maxBb.add(points, obj);
@@ -193,9 +190,22 @@ void Foam::AABBTree<Type>::createBoxes
     minBinObjectIDs.shrink();
     maxBinObjectIDs.shrink();
 
+    bool addMin = (minBinObjectIDs.size() > minLeafSize_ && level < maxLevel_);
+    bool addMax = (maxBinObjectIDs.size() > minLeafSize_ && level < maxLevel_);
+
+    // Since bounding boxes overlap, verify that splitting was effective
+
+    if
+    (
+        objectIDs.size() <= (minBinObjectIDs.size() + minLeafSize_/2)
+     || objectIDs.size() <= (maxBinObjectIDs.size() + minLeafSize_/2)
+    )
+    {
+        addMin = addMax = false;
+    }
 
     label minI;
-    if (minBinObjectIDs.size() > minLeafSize_ && level < maxLevel_)
+    if (addMin)
     {
         // New leaf
         minI = nodes.size();
@@ -209,7 +219,7 @@ void Foam::AABBTree<Type>::createBoxes
     }
 
     label maxI;
-    if (maxBinObjectIDs.size() > minLeafSize_ && level < maxLevel_)
+    if (addMax)
     {
         // New leaf
         maxI = nodes.size();