diff --git a/src/lmptype.h b/src/lmptype.h
index ecd6ee5761..6e0b54d988 100644
--- a/src/lmptype.h
+++ b/src/lmptype.h
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ typedef int64_t bigint;
 #define MAXSMALLINT INT_MAX
 #define MAXTAGINT INT_MAX
 #define MAXBIGINT INT64_MAX
-#define MAXDOUBLEINT 9007199254740992   // 2^53
+#define MAXDOUBLEINT 9007199254740992    // 2^53
 
 #define MPI_LMP_TAGINT MPI_INT
 #define MPI_LMP_IMAGEINT MPI_INT
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ typedef int64_t bigint;
 #define MAXSMALLINT INT_MAX
 #define MAXTAGINT INT64_MAX
 #define MAXBIGINT INT64_MAX
-#define MAXDOUBLEINT 9007199254740992   // 2^53
+#define MAXDOUBLEINT 9007199254740992    // 2^53
 
 #define MPI_LMP_TAGINT MPI_LL
 #define MPI_LMP_IMAGEINT MPI_LL
@@ -232,6 +232,84 @@ union ubuf {
   ubuf(const int64_t &arg) : i(arg) {}
   ubuf(const int &arg) : i(arg) {}
 };
+
+/** Data structure for dynamic typing of int, bigint, and double
+ *
+ * Using this union allows to store any of the supported data types
+ * in the same container and allows to "see" its current type.
+\verbatim embed:rst
+
+**Usage:**
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+   :caption: To store data in multitype array:
+
+   multitype m[5];
+   int    foo = 1;
+   double bar = 2.5;
+   bigint baz = 1<<40 - 1;
+   m[0] = foo;
+   m[1] = bar;
+   m[2] = -1;
+   m[3] = 2.0;
+   m[4] = baz;
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+   :caption: To format data from multitype array into a space separated string:
+
+   std::string str;
+   for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
+       switch (m[i].type) {
+           case multitype::DOUBLE:
+               str += std::to_string(m[i].data.d) + ' ';
+               break;
+           case multitype::INT:
+               str += std::to_string(m[i].data.i) + ' ';
+               break;
+           case multitype::BIGINT:
+               str += std::to_string(m[i].data.b) + ' ';
+               break;
+           default:
+               break;
+       }
+   }
+\endverbatim
+  */
+struct multitype {
+  enum { NONE, DOUBLE, INT, BIGINT };
+
+  int type;
+  union {
+    double d;
+    int i;
+    int64_t b;
+  } data;
+
+  multitype() : type(NONE) { data.d = 0.0; }
+  multitype(const multitype &) = default;
+  multitype(multitype &&) = default;
+  ~multitype() = default;
+
+  multitype &operator=(const double &_d)
+  {
+    type = DOUBLE;
+    data.d = _d;
+    return *this;
+  }
+  multitype &operator=(const int &_i)
+  {
+    type = INT;
+    data.i = _i;
+    return *this;
+  }
+  multitype &operator=(const int64_t &_b)
+  {
+    type = BIGINT;
+    data.b = _b;
+    return *this;
+  }
+};
+
 }    // namespace LAMMPS_NS
 
 // preprocessor macros for compiler specific settings
diff --git a/unittest/utils/CMakeLists.txt b/unittest/utils/CMakeLists.txt
index a6d5545873..8c1a5a3f6a 100644
--- a/unittest/utils/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/unittest/utils/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ add_executable(test_mempool test_mempool.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(test_mempool PRIVATE lammps GTest::GMockMain)
 add_test(NAME MemPool COMMAND test_mempool)
 
+add_executable(test_lmptype test_lmptype.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(test_lmptype PRIVATE lammps GTest::GMockMain)
+add_test(NAME LmpType COMMAND test_lmptype)
+
 add_executable(test_argutils test_argutils.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(test_argutils PRIVATE lammps GTest::GMockMain)
 add_test(NAME ArgUtils COMMAND test_argutils)
diff --git a/unittest/utils/test_lmptype.cpp b/unittest/utils/test_lmptype.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6db340fddf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittest/utils/test_lmptype.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   LAMMPS - Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator
+   https://www.lammps.org/, Sandia National Laboratories
+   LAMMPS Development team: developers@lammps.org
+
+   Copyright (2003) Sandia Corporation.  Under the terms of Contract
+   DE-AC04-94AL85000 with Sandia Corporation, the U.S. Government retains
+   certain rights in this software.  This software is distributed under
+   the GNU General Public License.
+
+   See the README file in the top-level LAMMPS directory.
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+#include "lmptype.h"
+
+#include "gmock/gmock.h"
+#include "gtest/gtest.h"
+
+#include <string>
+
+using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
+
+TEST(Types, ubuf)
+{
+    double buf[3];
+    double d1 = 0.1;
+    int i1 = -10;
+#if defined(LAMMPS_SMALLSMALL)
+    bigint b1 = 2048;
+#else
+    bigint b1 = (1L << 58) + (1L << 50);
+#endif
+    buf[0] = d1;
+    buf[1] = ubuf(i1).d;
+    buf[2] = ubuf(b1).d;
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(d1, buf[0]);
+    EXPECT_EQ(i1, (int)ubuf(buf[1]).i);
+    EXPECT_EQ(b1, (bigint)ubuf(buf[2]).i);
+}
+
+TEST(Types, multitype)
+{
+    multitype m[6];
+    int64_t b1 = (3L << 48) - 1;
+    int i1    = 20;
+    double d1 = 0.1;
+
+    m[0] = b1;
+    m[1] = i1;
+    m[2] = d1;
+
+#if !defined(LAMMPS_SMALLSMALL)
+    m[3] = -((1L << 40) + (1L << 50));
+#endif
+    m[4] = -1023;
+    m[5] = -2.225;
+
+#if defined(LAMMPS_SMALLSMALL)
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[0].type, multitype::INT);
+#else
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[0].type, multitype::BIGINT);
+#endif
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[1].type, multitype::INT);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[2].type, multitype::DOUBLE);
+
+#if defined(LAMMPS_SMALLSMALL)
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[3].type, multitype::NONE);
+#else
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[3].type, multitype::BIGINT);
+#endif
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[4].type, multitype::INT);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[5].type, multitype::DOUBLE);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[0].data.b, b1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[1].data.i, i1);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[2].data.d, d1);
+
+#if !defined(LAMMPS_SMALLSMALL)
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[3].data.b,  -((1L << 40) + (1L << 50)));
+#endif
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[4].data.i, -1023);
+    EXPECT_EQ(m[5].data.d, -2.225);
+}