A sensing cell for sensing pressures which includes a housing and a diaphragm that deflects relative to a housing surface under pressure differentials, the movement of the diaphragm is sensed to provide indications of pressure changes. The diaphragm has a center disc like deflecting portion, an outer peripheral support ring that is clamped for supporting the diaphragm in a housing, and an integral, reduced section web joining the center portion and the support ring. The reduced cross section web causes the diaphragm to act as a free edge diaphragm during deflection. The housing and/or the diaphragm are configured so that at near a rated overpressure stop means support the central disc portion at its annular edge where the web joins the central disc portion to reduce the maximum stress on the web and thus prevent over stressing of the web portion of the diaphragm under maximum overpressures, to reduce hysteresis and innaccuracies.