diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index f3a5770f5d..90a197da03 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ std::string utils::get_potential_file_path(const std::string& path) {
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    read first line of potential file
-   if has DATE field, print following word
+   if it has a DATE field, return the following word
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 std::string utils::get_potential_date(const std::string & path, const std::string & potential_name) {
@@ -562,6 +562,31 @@ std::string utils::get_potential_date(const std::string & path, const std::strin
   return "";
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   read first line of potential file
+   if it has UNITS field, return following word
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+std::string utils::get_potential_units(const std::string & path, const std::string & potential_name) {
+  TextFileReader reader(path, potential_name);
+  reader.ignore_comments = false;
+  char * line = nullptr;
+
+  while ((line = reader.next_line())) {
+    ValueTokenizer values(line);
+    while (values.has_next()) {
+      std::string word = values.next_string();
+      if (word == "UNITS:") {
+        if (values.has_next()) {
+          std::string units = values.next_string();
+          return units;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return "";
+}
+
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
 
 extern "C" {
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index ef272087b7..91e5024121 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
     tagint tnumeric(const char *file, int line, const char *str,
                     bool do_abort, LAMMPS *lmp);
 
-
     /**
      * \brief Trim anything from '#' onward
      * \param line string that should be trimmed
@@ -233,6 +232,14 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
      * \return DATE field if present
      */
     std::string get_potential_date(const std::string & path, const std::string & potential_name);
+
+    /**
+     * \brief Read potential file and return UNITS field if it is present
+     * \param path file path
+     * \param potential_name name of potential that is being read
+     * \return UNITS field if present
+     */
+    std::string get_potential_units(const std::string & path, const std::string & potential_name);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/unittest/utils/test_utils.cpp b/unittest/utils/test_utils.cpp
index 317c77cf3f..352cb29766 100644
--- a/unittest/utils/test_utils.cpp
+++ b/unittest/utils/test_utils.cpp
@@ -239,22 +239,34 @@ TEST(Utils, getsyserror) {
 
 TEST(Utils, potential_file) {
     FILE *fp;
-    fp = fopen("ctest.txt","w");
+    fp = fopen("ctest1.txt","w");
     ASSERT_NE(fp,nullptr);
-    fputs("# DATE: 2020-02-20 CONTRIBUTOR: Nessuno\n",fp);
+    fputs("# DATE: 2020-02-20 CONTRIBUTOR: Nessuno UNITS: real\n",fp);
+    fclose(fp);
+    fp = fopen("ctest2.txt","w");
+    ASSERT_NE(fp,nullptr);
+    fputs("# CONTRIBUTOR: Pippo\n",fp);
     fclose(fp);
 
-    EXPECT_TRUE(utils::file_is_readable("ctest.txt"));
-    EXPECT_FALSE(utils::file_is_readable("no_such_file.txt"));
+    ASSERT_TRUE(utils::file_is_readable("ctest1.txt"));
+    ASSERT_TRUE(utils::file_is_readable("ctest2.txt"));
+    ASSERT_FALSE(utils::file_is_readable("no_such_file.txt"));
+
+    ASSERT_THAT(utils::get_potential_file_path("ctest1.txt"),Eq("ctest1.txt"));
+    ASSERT_THAT(utils::get_potential_file_path("no_such_file.txt"),Eq(""));
 
-    EXPECT_THAT(utils::get_potential_file_path("ctest.txt"),Eq("ctest.txt"));
     const char *folder = getenv("LAMMPS_POTENTIALS");
     if (folder != nullptr) {
       std::string path=utils::path_join(folder,"Cu_u3.eam");
       EXPECT_THAT(utils::get_potential_file_path("Cu_u3.eam"),Eq(path));
+      EXPECT_THAT(utils::get_potential_units(path,"EAM"),Eq("metal"));
     }
 
-    EXPECT_THAT(utils::get_potential_date("ctest.txt","Test"),Eq("2020-02-20"));
+    ASSERT_THAT(utils::get_potential_date("ctest1.txt","Test"),Eq("2020-02-20"));
+    ASSERT_THAT(utils::get_potential_units("ctest1.txt","Test"),Eq("real"));
+    ASSERT_THAT(utils::get_potential_date("ctest2.txt","Test"),Eq(""));
+    ASSERT_THAT(utils::get_potential_units("ctest2.txt","Test"),Eq(""));
 
-    remove("ctest.txt");
+    remove("ctest1.txt");
+    remove("ctest2.txt");
 }