diff --git a/src/dump_atom.cpp b/src/dump_atom.cpp
index 4b2ee96b69..7e89e5a075 100644
--- a/src/dump_atom.cpp
+++ b/src/dump_atom.cpp
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ void DumpAtom::header_format_binary()
 void DumpAtom::header_binary(bigint ndump)
 {
   header_format_binary();
+
   fwrite(&update->ntimestep,sizeof(bigint),1,fp);
   fwrite(&ndump,sizeof(bigint),1,fp);
   fwrite(&domain->triclinic,sizeof(int),1,fp);
@@ -216,10 +217,22 @@ void DumpAtom::header_binary(bigint ndump)
   fwrite(&boxzhi,sizeof(double),1,fp);
   fwrite(&size_one,sizeof(int),1,fp);
 
-  int len = strlen(columns);
+  int len = 0;
+
+  if (unit_flag && !unit_count) {
+    ++unit_count;
+    len = strlen(update->unit_style);
+    fwrite(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
+    fwrite(update->unit_style, sizeof(char), len, fp);
+  } else {
+    fwrite(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
+  }
+
+  len = strlen(columns);
   fwrite(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
   fwrite(columns, sizeof(char), len, fp);
 
+
   if (multiproc) fwrite(&nclusterprocs,sizeof(int),1,fp);
   else fwrite(&nprocs,sizeof(int),1,fp);
 }
@@ -244,7 +257,18 @@ void DumpAtom::header_binary_triclinic(bigint ndump)
   fwrite(&boxyz,sizeof(double),1,fp);
   fwrite(&size_one,sizeof(int),1,fp);
 
-  int len = strlen(columns);
+  int len = 0;
+
+  if (unit_flag && !unit_count) {
+    ++unit_count;
+    len = strlen(update->unit_style);
+    fwrite(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
+    fwrite(update->unit_style, sizeof(char), len, fp);
+  } else {
+    fwrite(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
+  }
+
+  len = strlen(columns);
   fwrite(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
   fwrite(columns, sizeof(char), len, fp);
 
diff --git a/tools/binary2txt.cpp b/tools/binary2txt.cpp
index d65e74b0d1..a2f000e22c 100644
--- a/tools/binary2txt.cpp
+++ b/tools/binary2txt.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ int main(int narg, char **arg)
     // detect newer format
     char * magic_string = nullptr;
     char * columns = nullptr;
-
+    char * unit_style = nullptr;
 
     // loop over snapshots in file
 
@@ -148,8 +148,20 @@ int main(int narg, char **arg)
       fread(&size_one,sizeof(int),1,fp);
 
       if (magic_string && revision > 0x0001) {
-        // newer format includes columns string
+        // newer format includes units and columns string
         int len = 0;
+        fread(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
+
+        if (len > 0) {
+          // has units
+          delete [] unit_style;
+          unit_style = new char[len+1];
+          fread(unit_style, sizeof(char), len, fp);
+          unit_style[len+1] = '\0';
+          fprintf(fptxt, "ITEM: UNITS\n");
+          fprintf(fptxt, "%s\n", unit_style);
+        }
+
         fread(&len, sizeof(int), 1, fp);
         delete [] columns;
         columns = new char[len+1];
@@ -229,6 +241,10 @@ int main(int narg, char **arg)
     printf("\n");
     delete [] columns;
     delete [] magic_string;
+    delete [] unit_style;
+    columns = nullptr;
+    magic_string = nullptr;
+    unit_style = nullptr;
   }
 
   if (buf) delete [] buf;
diff --git a/unittest/formats/test_dump.cpp b/unittest/formats/test_dump.cpp
index bbcd151892..177770e130 100644
--- a/unittest/formats/test_dump.cpp
+++ b/unittest/formats/test_dump.cpp
@@ -270,6 +270,61 @@ TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, with_units_run1)
     delete_file("dump_with_units_run1.melt");
 }
 
+TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, binary_with_units_run0)
+{
+    if(!BINARY2TXT_BINARY) GTEST_SKIP();
+
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
+    command("dump id0 all atom 1 dump_text_with_units_run0.melt");
+    command("dump id1 all atom 1 dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin");
+    command("dump_modify id0 scale no units yes");
+    command("dump_modify id1 scale no units yes");
+    command("run 0");
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::GetCapturedStdout();
+
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_text_with_units_run0.melt");
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin");
+
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
+    std::string cmdline = fmt::format("{} dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin", BINARY2TXT_BINARY);
+    system(cmdline.c_str());
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::GetCapturedStdout();
+
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin.txt");
+    ASSERT_FILE_EQUAL("dump_text_with_units_run0.melt", "dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin.txt");
+    delete_file("dump_text_with_units_run0.melt");
+    delete_file("dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin");
+    delete_file("dump_binary_with_units_run0.melt.bin.txt");
+}
+
+TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, binary_triclinic_with_units_run0)
+{
+    if(!BINARY2TXT_BINARY) GTEST_SKIP();
+
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
+    command("change_box all triclinic");
+    command("dump id0 all atom 1 dump_text_tri_with_units_run0.melt");
+    command("dump id1 all atom 1 dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin");
+    command("dump_modify id0 scale no units yes");
+    command("dump_modify id1 scale no units yes");
+    command("run 0");
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::GetCapturedStdout();
+
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_text_tri_with_units_run0.melt");
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin");
+
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
+    std::string cmdline = fmt::format("{} dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin", BINARY2TXT_BINARY);
+    system(cmdline.c_str());
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::GetCapturedStdout();
+
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin.txt");
+    ASSERT_FILE_EQUAL("dump_text_tri_with_units_run0.melt", "dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin.txt");
+    delete_file("dump_text_tri_with_units_run0.melt");
+    delete_file("dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin");
+    delete_file("dump_binary_tri_with_units_run0.melt.bin.txt");
+}
+
 TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, no_buffer_with_scale_and_image_run0)
 {
     if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
@@ -307,6 +362,28 @@ TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, tricilinic_run0)
     delete_file("dump_triclinic_run0.melt");
 }
 
+TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, tricilinic_with_units_run0)
+{
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
+
+    command("change_box all triclinic");
+    command("dump id all atom 1 dump_triclinic_with_units_run0.melt");
+    command("dump_modify id units yes");
+    command("run 0");
+    if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::GetCapturedStdout();
+
+    ASSERT_FILE_EXISTS("dump_triclinic_with_units_run0.melt");
+
+    auto lines = read_lines("dump_triclinic_with_units_run0.melt");
+    ASSERT_STREQ(lines[0].c_str(), "ITEM: UNITS");
+    ASSERT_STREQ(lines[1].c_str(), "lj");
+    ASSERT_STREQ(lines[6].c_str(), "ITEM: BOX BOUNDS xy xz yz pp pp pp");
+    ASSERT_EQ(utils::split_words(lines[7]).size(), 3);
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(lines.size(), 43);
+    delete_file("dump_triclinic_with_units_run0.melt");
+}
+
 TEST_F(DumpAtomTest, triclinic_with_image_run0)
 {
     if (!verbose) ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();