diff --git a/src/pair_buck.h b/src/pair_buck.h
index 70d571c8b8..c9e13d6cfa 100644
--- a/src/pair_buck.h
+++ b/src/pair_buck.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS {
 class PairBuck : public Pair {
  public:
   PairBuck(class LAMMPS *);
-  ~PairBuck();
+  virtual ~PairBuck();
   void compute(int, int);
   void settings(int, char **);
   void coeff(int, char **);
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class PairBuck : public Pair {
   double single(int, int, int, int, double, double, double, double &);
   void *extract(char *, int &);
 
- private:
+ protected:
   double cut_global;
   double **cut;
   double **a,**rho,**c;