The MoS2 host layers in various intercalation compounds freshly prepared from single-layer dispersions are substantially distorted compared to those in parent crystalline 2H-MoS2. The coordination number for the Mo-Mo sphere (d similar to 3.2 Angstrom) obtained from Mo K-edge EXAFS data can be used as a convenient parameter to estimate qualitatively the degree of distortion, which is shown to correlate fairly with the residual negative charge kept by the host layers.