diff --git a/doc/src/Developer_notes.rst b/doc/src/Developer_notes.rst
index 33209abae7..63c95c2e6f 100644
--- a/doc/src/Developer_notes.rst
+++ b/doc/src/Developer_notes.rst
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ access the requesting class instance to store the assembled neighbor
 list with that instance by calling its ``init_list()`` member function.
 The second argument contains a bitmask of flags that determines the kind
 of neighbor list, i.e. a perpetual "half" neighbor list here.
-  
+
 To adjust a neighbor list request to the specific needs of a style
 usually just a different additional request flag is needed.  The :doc:`tersoff <pair_tersoff>` pair
 style, for example, needs a "full" neighbor list:
@@ -155,7 +155,16 @@ from pair style lj/cut:
      neighbor->add_request(this, list_style);
      // [...]
    }
- 
+
+Granular pair styles need neighbor lists based on particle sizes and not cutoff
+and also may require to have the list of previous neighbors available ("history").
+For example with:
+
+.. code-block:: C++
+
+   if (use_history) neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_SIZE|NeighConst::REQ_HISTORY);
+   else neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_SIZE);
+
 In case a class would need to make multiple neighbor list requests with different
 settings each request can set an id which is then used in the corresponding
 ``init_list()`` function to assign it to the suitable pointer variable. This is
@@ -173,7 +182,7 @@ done for example by the :doc:`pair style meam <pair_meam>`:
    {
      if (id == 1) listfull = ptr;
      else if (id == 2) listhalf = ptr;
-   }         
+   }
 
 Fixes may require a neighbor list that is only build occasionally (or
 just once) and this can also be indicated by a flag.  As an example here
@@ -206,7 +215,7 @@ command:
 .. code-block:: C++
 
    neighbor->add_request(this, "delete_atoms", NeighConst::REQ_FULL);
-   
+
 Fix contributions to instantaneous energy, virial, and cumulative energy
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hertz_history.cpp b/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hertz_history.cpp
index 151644bb83..2320b7a8fb 100644
--- a/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hertz_history.cpp
+++ b/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hertz_history.cpp
@@ -17,18 +17,20 @@
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 #include "pair_gran_hertz_history.h"
-#include <cmath>
-#include <cstring>
+
 #include "atom.h"
-#include "update.h"
-#include "force.h"
+#include "comm.h"
+#include "error.h"
 #include "fix.h"
 #include "fix_neigh_history.h"
-#include "neighbor.h"
-#include "neigh_list.h"
-#include "comm.h"
+#include "force.h"
 #include "memory.h"
-#include "error.h"
+#include "neigh_list.h"
+#include "neighbor.h"
+#include "update.h"
+
+#include <cmath>
+#include <cstring>
 
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 
diff --git a/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hooke_history.cpp b/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hooke_history.cpp
index 4d2dc441a5..49eb1be89b 100644
--- a/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hooke_history.cpp
+++ b/src/GRANULAR/pair_gran_hooke_history.cpp
@@ -431,11 +431,10 @@ void PairGranHookeHistory::init_style()
   if (comm->ghost_velocity == 0)
     error->all(FLERR, "Pair granular requires ghost atoms store velocity");
 
-  // need a granular neigh list
+  // need a granular neighbor list
 
-  int irequest = neighbor->request(this, instance_me);
-  neighbor->requests[irequest]->size = 1;
-  if (history) neighbor->requests[irequest]->history = 1;
+  if (history) neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_SIZE|NeighConst::REQ_HISTORY);
+  else neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_SIZE);
 
   dt = update->dt;
 
diff --git a/src/GRANULAR/pair_granular.cpp b/src/GRANULAR/pair_granular.cpp
index 0559ca4c84..e1719853a4 100644
--- a/src/GRANULAR/pair_granular.cpp
+++ b/src/GRANULAR/pair_granular.cpp
@@ -1110,9 +1110,8 @@ void PairGranular::init_style()
         break;
       }
 
-  int irequest = neighbor->request(this,instance_me);
-  neighbor->requests[irequest]->size = 1;
-  if (use_history) neighbor->requests[irequest]->history = 1;
+  if (use_history) neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_SIZE|NeighConst::REQ_HISTORY);
+  else neighbor->add_request(this, NeighConst::REQ_SIZE);
 
   dt = update->dt;
 
diff --git a/src/neighbor.h b/src/neighbor.h
index 4b78522000..3c392feb0a 100644
--- a/src/neighbor.h
+++ b/src/neighbor.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class Neighbor : protected Pointers {
   virtual void init();
 
   // old API for creating neighbor list requests
-  int request(void *, int instance_me = 0);
+  int request(void *, int instance = 0);
 
   // new API for creating neighbor list requests
   NeighRequest *add_request(class Pair *, int);