diff --git a/pybamm/expression_tree/binary_operators.py b/pybamm/expression_tree/binary_operators.py
index 5ec4f47aa6..cdc0535c0c 100644
--- a/pybamm/expression_tree/binary_operators.py
+++ b/pybamm/expression_tree/binary_operators.py
@@ -1211,13 +1211,14 @@ def minimum(left, right):
     if out is not None:
         return out
 
-    k = pybamm.settings.min_smoothing
+    mode = pybamm.settings.min_max_mode
+    k = pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing
     # Return exact approximation if that is the setting or the outcome is a constant
     # (i.e. no need for smoothing)
-    if k == "exact" or (left.is_constant() and right.is_constant()):
+    if mode == "exact" or (left.is_constant() and right.is_constant()):
         out = Minimum(left, right)
-    elif k == "smooth":
-        out = pybamm.smooth_minus(left, right, pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing)
+    elif mode == "smooth":
+        out = pybamm.smooth_minus(left, right, k)
     else:
         out = pybamm.softminus(left, right, k)
     return pybamm.simplify_if_constant(out)
@@ -1234,13 +1235,14 @@ def maximum(left, right):
     if out is not None:
         return out
 
-    k = pybamm.settings.max_smoothing
+    mode = pybamm.settings.min_max_mode
+    k = pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing
     # Return exact approximation if that is the setting or the outcome is a constant
     # (i.e. no need for smoothing)
-    if k == "exact" or (left.is_constant() and right.is_constant()):
+    if mode == "exact" or (left.is_constant() and right.is_constant()):
         out = Maximum(left, right)
-    elif k == "smooth":
-        out = pybamm.smooth_plus(left, right, pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing)
+    elif mode == "smooth":
+        out = pybamm.smooth_plus(left, right, k)
     else:
         out = pybamm.softplus(left, right, k)
     return pybamm.simplify_if_constant(out)
diff --git a/pybamm/settings.py b/pybamm/settings.py
index 299c17074e..4dc8db8151 100644
--- a/pybamm/settings.py
+++ b/pybamm/settings.py
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 class Settings(object):
     _debug_mode = False
     _simplify = True
-    _min_smoothing = "exact"
-    _max_smoothing = "exact"
+    _min_max_mode = "exact"
     _min_max_smoothing = 1000
     _heaviside_smoothing = "exact"
     _abs_smoothing = "exact"
@@ -45,35 +44,32 @@ def simplify(self, value):
 
     def set_smoothing_parameters(self, k):
         """Helper function to set all smoothing parameters"""
-        self.min_smoothing = k
-        self.max_smoothing = k
+        if k == "exact":
+            self.min_max_mode = "exact"
+        else:
+            self.min_max_smoothing = k
+            self.min_max_mode = "soft"
         self.heaviside_smoothing = k
         self.abs_smoothing = k
 
     @staticmethod
     def check_k(k):
-        if k != "exact" and k != "smooth" and k <= 0:
+        if k != "exact" and k <= 0:
             raise ValueError(
-                "Smoothing parameter must be 'exact', 'smooth', or a positive number"
+                "Smoothing parameter must be 'exact' or a strictly positive number"
             )
 
     @property
-    def min_smoothing(self):
-        return self._min_smoothing
+    def min_max_mode(self):
+        return self._min_max_mode
 
-    @min_smoothing.setter
-    def min_smoothing(self, k):
-        self.check_k(k)
-        self._min_smoothing = k
-
-    @property
-    def max_smoothing(self):
-        return self._max_smoothing
-
-    @max_smoothing.setter
-    def max_smoothing(self, k):
-        self.check_k(k)
-        self._max_smoothing = k
+    @min_max_mode.setter
+    def min_max_mode(self, mode):
+        if mode not in ["exact", "soft", "smooth"]:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Smoothing mode must be 'exact', 'soft', or 'smooth'"
+            )
+        self._min_max_mode = mode
 
     @property
     def min_max_smoothing(self):
@@ -81,7 +77,11 @@ def min_max_smoothing(self):
 
     @min_max_smoothing.setter
     def min_max_smoothing(self, k):
-        if k < 1:
+        if self._min_max_mode == "soft" and k <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Smoothing parameter must be a strictly positive number"
+            )
+        if self._min_max_mode == "smooth" and k < 1:
             raise ValueError(
                 "Smoothing parameter must be greater than 1"
             )
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_expression_tree/test_binary_operators.py b/tests/unit/test_expression_tree/test_binary_operators.py
index 487cffe877..9ced98d6fe 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_expression_tree/test_binary_operators.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_expression_tree/test_binary_operators.py
@@ -404,8 +404,8 @@ def test_softminus_softplus(self):
         )
 
         # Test that smooth min/max are used when the setting is changed
-        pybamm.settings.min_smoothing = 10
-        pybamm.settings.max_smoothing = 10
+        pybamm.settings.min_max_mode = "soft"
+        pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing = 10
 
         self.assertEqual(str(pybamm.minimum(a, b)), str(pybamm.softminus(a, b, 10)))
         self.assertEqual(str(pybamm.maximum(a, b)), str(pybamm.softplus(a, b, 10)))
@@ -417,8 +417,7 @@ def test_softminus_softplus(self):
         self.assertEqual(str(pybamm.maximum(a, b)), str(b))
 
         # Change setting back for other tests
-        pybamm.settings.min_smoothing = "exact"
-        pybamm.settings.max_smoothing = "exact"
+        pybamm.settings.set_smoothing_parameters("exact")
 
     def test_smooth_minus_plus(self):
         a = pybamm.Scalar(1)
@@ -444,8 +443,7 @@ def test_smooth_minus_plus(self):
         )
 
         # Test that smooth min/max are used when the setting is changed
-        pybamm.settings.min_smoothing = "smooth"
-        pybamm.settings.max_smoothing = "smooth"
+        pybamm.settings.min_max_mode = "smooth"
 
         pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing = 1
         self.assertEqual(str(pybamm.minimum(a, b)), str(pybamm.smooth_minus(a, b, 1)))
@@ -458,8 +456,7 @@ def test_smooth_minus_plus(self):
         self.assertEqual(str(pybamm.maximum(a, b)), str(b))
 
         # Change setting back for other tests
-        pybamm.settings.min_smoothing = "exact"
-        pybamm.settings.max_smoothing = "exact"
+        pybamm.settings.set_smoothing_parameters("exact")
 
     def test_binary_simplifications(self):
         a = pybamm.Scalar(0)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_settings.py b/tests/unit/test_settings.py
index c2b19a2954..99310a42c1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_settings.py
@@ -16,29 +16,28 @@ def test_simplify(self):
         pybamm.settings.simplify = True
 
     def test_smoothing_parameters(self):
-        self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.min_smoothing, "exact")
-        self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.max_smoothing, "exact")
+        self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.min_max_mode, "exact")
         self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.heaviside_smoothing, "exact")
         self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.abs_smoothing, "exact")
 
         pybamm.settings.set_smoothing_parameters(10)
-        self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.min_smoothing, 10)
-        self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.max_smoothing, 10)
+        self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing, 10)
         self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.heaviside_smoothing, 10)
         self.assertEqual(pybamm.settings.abs_smoothing, 10)
         pybamm.settings.set_smoothing_parameters("exact")
 
         # Test errors
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "greater than 1"):
+            pybamm.settings.min_max_mode = "smooth"
+            pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing = 0.9
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "positive number"):
-            pybamm.settings.min_smoothing = -10
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "positive number"):
-            pybamm.settings.max_smoothing = -10
+            pybamm.settings.min_max_mode = "soft"
+            pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing = -10
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "positive number"):
             pybamm.settings.heaviside_smoothing = -10
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "positive number"):
             pybamm.settings.abs_smoothing = -10
-        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "greater than 1"):
-            pybamm.settings.min_max_smoothing = 0.9
+        pybamm.settings.set_smoothing_parameters("exact")
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":