diff --git a/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.cpp b/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.cpp
index b0fbacf038..9947c9b09e 100644
--- a/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.cpp
@@ -29,11 +29,17 @@ using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 ComputeNBondAtom::ComputeNBondAtom(LAMMPS *_lmp, int narg, char **arg) :
     Compute(_lmp, narg, arg), nbond(nullptr)
 {
-  if (narg < 3) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal compute nbond/atom command");
+  if ((narg < 3) || (narg > 4)) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal compute nbond/atom command");
 
   peratom_flag = 1;
   size_peratom_cols = 0;
   comm_reverse = 1;
+  comm_forward = 0;
+
+  if (narg == 4) {
+    if (utils::strmatch(arg[3], "forward")) comm_forward = 1;
+    else error->all(FLERR, "Illegal compute nbond/atom command");
+  }
 
   nmax = 0;
 }
@@ -100,6 +106,9 @@ void ComputeNBondAtom::compute_peratom()
 
   for (i = 0; i < nlocal; i++)
     if (!(mask[i] & groupbit)) nbond[i] = 0.0;
+
+  // forward to ghosts if requested
+  if (comm_forward != 0) comm->forward_comm(this);
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -126,6 +135,31 @@ void ComputeNBondAtom::unpack_reverse_comm(int n, int *list, double *buf)
     nbond[j] += buf[m++];
   }
 }
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+int ComputeNBondAtom::pack_forward_comm(int n, int *list, double *buf,
+                                          int /*pbc_flag*/, int * /*pbc*/)
+{
+  int i,j,m;
+
+  m = 0;
+  for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+    j = list[i];
+    buf[m++] = nbond[j];
+  }
+  return m;
+}
+
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+void ComputeNBondAtom::unpack_forward_comm(int n, int first, double *buf)
+{
+  int i,m,last;
+
+  m = 0;
+  last = first + n;
+  for (i = first; i < last; i++) nbond[i] = buf[m++];
+}
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    memory usage of local atom-based array
diff --git a/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.h b/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.h
index 32d4ca2462..fe793cc05f 100644
--- a/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.h
+++ b/src/BPM/compute_nbond_atom.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class ComputeNBondAtom : public Compute {
   void compute_peratom() override;
   int pack_reverse_comm(int, int, double *) override;
   void unpack_reverse_comm(int, int *, double *) override;
+  int pack_forward_comm(int, int *, double *, int, int *) override;
+  void unpack_forward_comm(int, int, double *) override;
   double memory_usage() override;
 
  private: