diff --git a/src/MISC/fix_deposit.cpp b/src/MISC/fix_deposit.cpp
index 0369c0d367..196b3b489b 100644
--- a/src/MISC/fix_deposit.cpp
+++ b/src/MISC/fix_deposit.cpp
@@ -720,3 +720,35 @@ void FixDeposit::restart(char *buf)
 
   random->reset(seed);
 }
+
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   extract particle radius for atom type = itype
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+void *FixDeposit::extract(const char *str, int &itype)
+{
+  if (strcmp(str,"radius") == 0) {
+    if (mode == ATOM) {
+      if (itype == ntype) oneradius = 0.5;
+      else oneradius = 0.0;
+    } else {
+      double *radius = onemol->radius;
+      int *type = onemol->type;
+      int natoms = onemol->natoms;
+
+      // check radii of matching types in Molecule
+      // default to 0.5, if radii not defined in Molecule
+      //   same as atom->avec->create_atom(), invoked in pre_exchange()
+
+      oneradius = 0.0;
+      for (int i = 0; i < natoms; i++)
+        if (type[i] == itype-ntype) {
+          if (radius) oneradius = MAX(oneradius,radius[i]);
+          else oneradius = 0.5;
+        }
+    }
+    itype = 0;
+    return &oneradius;
+  }
+  return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/src/MISC/fix_deposit.h b/src/MISC/fix_deposit.h
index 3022f57180..86f3499202 100644
--- a/src/MISC/fix_deposit.h
+++ b/src/MISC/fix_deposit.h
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 
 class FixDeposit : public Fix {
  public:
-  int ntype;      // type of deposited atom, visible to PairGran
-
   FixDeposit(class LAMMPS *, int, char **);
   ~FixDeposit();
   int setmask();
@@ -36,9 +34,10 @@ class FixDeposit : public Fix {
   void pre_exchange();
   void write_restart(FILE *);
   void restart(char *);
+  void *extract(const char *, int &);
 
  private:
-  int ninsert,nfreq,seed;
+  int ninsert,ntype,nfreq,seed;
   int iregion,globalflag,localflag,maxattempt,rateflag,scaleflag,targetflag;
   int mode,rigidflag,shakeflag,idnext;
   double lo,hi,deltasq,nearsq,rate;
@@ -53,6 +52,7 @@ class FixDeposit : public Fix {
   double **coords;
   imageint *imageflags;
   class Fix *fixrigid,*fixshake;
+  double oneradius;
 
   int nfirst,ninserted;
   tagint maxtag_all,maxmol_all;