diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.cpp b/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.cpp
index 27ab1a3bde..514892d527 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.cpp
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "error.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "tokenizer.h"
+#include "potential_file_reader.h"
 
 #include "math_const.h"
 using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
@@ -61,146 +63,101 @@ PairGWZBL::PairGWZBL(LAMMPS *lmp) : PairGW(lmp)
 
 void PairGWZBL::read_file(char *file)
 {
-  int params_per_line = 21;
-  char **words = new char*[params_per_line+1];
-
   memory->sfree(params);
   params = NULL;
   nparams = maxparam = 0;
 
   // open file on proc 0
 
-  FILE *fp;
   if (comm->me == 0) {
-    fp = force->open_potential(file);
-    if (fp == NULL) {
-      char str[128];
-      snprintf(str,128,"Cannot open GW potential file %s",file);
-      error->one(FLERR,str);
-    }
-  }
+    PotentialFileReader reader(lmp, file, "GW/ZBL");
+    char * line;
 
-  // read each line out of file, skipping blank lines or leading '#'
-  // store line of params if all 3 element tags are in element list
+    while(line = reader.next_line(NPARAMS_PER_LINE)) {
+      try {
+        ValueTokenizer values(line, " \t\n\r\f");
 
-  int n,nwords,ielement,jelement,kelement;
-  char line[MAXLINE],*ptr;
-  int eof = 0;
+        std::string iname = values.next_string();
+        std::string jname = values.next_string();
+        std::string kname = values.next_string();
 
-  while (1) {
-    if (comm->me == 0) {
-      ptr = fgets(line,MAXLINE,fp);
-      if (ptr == NULL) {
-        eof = 1;
-        fclose(fp);
-      } else n = strlen(line) + 1;
-    }
-    MPI_Bcast(&eof,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
-    if (eof) break;
-    MPI_Bcast(&n,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
-    MPI_Bcast(line,n,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
+        // ielement,jelement,kelement = 1st args
+        // if all 3 args are in element list, then parse this line
+        // else skip to next entry in file
+        int ielement, jelement, kelement;
 
-    // strip comment, skip line if blank
+        for (ielement = 0; ielement < nelements; ielement++)
+          if (iname == elements[ielement]) break;
+        if (ielement == nelements) continue;
+        for (jelement = 0; jelement < nelements; jelement++)
+          if (jname == elements[jelement]) break;
+        if (jelement == nelements) continue;
+        for (kelement = 0; kelement < nelements; kelement++)
+          if (kname == elements[kelement]) break;
+        if (kelement == nelements) continue;
 
-    if ((ptr = strchr(line,'#'))) *ptr = '\0';
-    nwords = utils::count_words(line);
-    if (nwords == 0) continue;
+        // load up parameter settings and error check their values
 
-    // concatenate additional lines until have params_per_line words
+        if (nparams == maxparam) {
+          maxparam += DELTA;
+          params = (Param *) memory->srealloc(params,maxparam*sizeof(Param),
+                                              "pair:params");
+        }
 
-    while (nwords < params_per_line) {
-      n = strlen(line);
-      if (comm->me == 0) {
-        ptr = fgets(&line[n],MAXLINE-n,fp);
-        if (ptr == NULL) {
-          eof = 1;
-          fclose(fp);
-        } else n = strlen(line) + 1;
+        params[nparams].ielement = ielement;
+        params[nparams].jelement = jelement;
+        params[nparams].kelement = kelement;
+        params[nparams].powerm      = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].gamma       = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].lam3        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].c           = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].d           = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].h           = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].powern      = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].beta        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].lam2        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].bigb        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].bigr        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].bigd        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].lam1        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].biga        = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].Z_i         = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].Z_j         = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].ZBLcut      = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].ZBLexpscale = values.next_double();
+        params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
+      } catch (TokenizerException & e) {
+        error->one(FLERR, e.what());
       }
-      MPI_Bcast(&eof,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
-      if (eof) break;
-      MPI_Bcast(&n,1,MPI_INT,0,world);
-      MPI_Bcast(line,n,MPI_CHAR,0,world);
-      if ((ptr = strchr(line,'#'))) *ptr = '\0';
-      nwords = utils::count_words(line);
+
+      // currently only allow m exponent of 1 or 3
+      if (
+          params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].d < 0.0 || params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].beta < 0.0 || params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
+          params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
+          (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
+          params[nparams].gamma < 0.0 ||
+          params[nparams].Z_i < 1.0 || params[nparams].Z_j < 1.0 ||
+          params[nparams].ZBLcut < 0.0 || params[nparams].ZBLexpscale < 0.0)
+        error->one(FLERR,"Illegal GW parameter");
+
+      nparams++;
     }
-
-    if (nwords != params_per_line)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Incorrect format in GW potential file");
-
-    // words = ptrs to all words in line
-
-    nwords = 0;
-    words[nwords++] = strtok(line," \t\n\r\f");
-    while ((words[nwords++] = strtok(NULL," \t\n\r\f"))) continue;
-
-    // ielement,jelement,kelement = 1st args
-    // if all 3 args are in element list, then parse this line
-    // else skip to next line
-
-    for (ielement = 0; ielement < nelements; ielement++)
-      if (strcmp(words[0],elements[ielement]) == 0) break;
-    if (ielement == nelements) continue;
-    for (jelement = 0; jelement < nelements; jelement++)
-      if (strcmp(words[1],elements[jelement]) == 0) break;
-    if (jelement == nelements) continue;
-    for (kelement = 0; kelement < nelements; kelement++)
-      if (strcmp(words[2],elements[kelement]) == 0) break;
-    if (kelement == nelements) continue;
-
-    // load up parameter settings and error check their values
-
-    if (nparams == maxparam) {
-      maxparam += DELTA;
-      params = (Param *) memory->srealloc(params,maxparam*sizeof(Param),
-                                          "pair:params");
-    }
-
-    params[nparams].ielement = ielement;
-    params[nparams].jelement = jelement;
-    params[nparams].kelement = kelement;
-    params[nparams].powerm = atof(words[3]);
-    params[nparams].gamma = atof(words[4]);
-    params[nparams].lam3 = atof(words[5]);
-    params[nparams].c = atof(words[6]);
-    params[nparams].d = atof(words[7]);
-    params[nparams].h = atof(words[8]);
-    params[nparams].powern = atof(words[9]);
-    params[nparams].beta = atof(words[10]);
-    params[nparams].lam2 = atof(words[11]);
-    params[nparams].bigb = atof(words[12]);
-    params[nparams].bigr = atof(words[13]);
-    params[nparams].bigd = atof(words[14]);
-    params[nparams].lam1 = atof(words[15]);
-    params[nparams].biga = atof(words[16]);
-    params[nparams].Z_i = atof(words[17]);
-    params[nparams].Z_j = atof(words[18]);
-    params[nparams].ZBLcut = atof(words[19]);
-    params[nparams].ZBLexpscale = atof(words[20]);
-
-    // currently only allow m exponent of 1 or 3
-
-    params[nparams].powermint = int(params[nparams].powerm);
-
-    if (
-        params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].c < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].d < 0.0 || params[nparams].powern < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].beta < 0.0 || params[nparams].lam2 < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].bigb < 0.0 || params[nparams].bigr < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].bigd < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].bigd > params[nparams].bigr ||
-        params[nparams].lam3 < 0.0 || params[nparams].biga < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].powerm - params[nparams].powermint != 0.0 ||
-        (params[nparams].powermint != 3 && params[nparams].powermint != 1) ||
-        params[nparams].gamma < 0.0 ||
-        params[nparams].Z_i < 1.0 || params[nparams].Z_j < 1.0 ||
-        params[nparams].ZBLcut < 0.0 || params[nparams].ZBLexpscale < 0.0)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Illegal GW parameter");
-
-    nparams++;
   }
 
-  delete [] words;
+  MPI_Bcast(&nparams, 1, MPI_INT, 0, world);
+  MPI_Bcast(&maxparam, 1, MPI_INT, 0, world);
+
+  if(comm->me != 0) {
+    params = (Param *) memory->srealloc(params,maxparam*sizeof(Param), "pair:params");
+  }
+
+  MPI_Bcast(params, maxparam*sizeof(Param), MPI_BYTE, 0, world);
 }
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.h b/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.h
index 62b3f9a43f..95129c4eb8 100644
--- a/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.h
+++ b/src/MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ class PairGWZBL : public PairGW {
   PairGWZBL(class LAMMPS *);
   ~PairGWZBL() {}
 
+  static const int NPARAMS_PER_LINE = 21;
+
  private:
   double global_a_0;                // Bohr radius for Coulomb repulsion
   double global_epsilon_0;        // permittivity of vacuum for Coulomb repulsion
diff --git a/unittest/formats/test_potential_file_reader.cpp b/unittest/formats/test_potential_file_reader.cpp
index e948b23222..d5d9c61bbe 100644
--- a/unittest/formats/test_potential_file_reader.cpp
+++ b/unittest/formats/test_potential_file_reader.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_mod_c.h"
 #include "MANYBODY/pair_tersoff_zbl.h"
 #include "MANYBODY/pair_gw.h"
+#include "MANYBODY/pair_gw_zbl.h"
 
 #include <mpi.h>
 
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ const int LAMMPS_NS::PairTersoffMOD::NPARAMS_PER_LINE;
 const int LAMMPS_NS::PairTersoffMODC::NPARAMS_PER_LINE;
 const int LAMMPS_NS::PairTersoffZBL::NPARAMS_PER_LINE;
 const int LAMMPS_NS::PairGW::NPARAMS_PER_LINE;
+const int LAMMPS_NS::PairGWZBL::NPARAMS_PER_LINE;
 
 class PotenialFileReaderTest : public ::testing::Test {
 protected:
@@ -117,6 +119,15 @@ TEST_F(PotenialFileReaderTest, GW) {
     ASSERT_EQ(utils::count_words(line), PairGW::NPARAMS_PER_LINE);
 }
 
+TEST_F(PotenialFileReaderTest, GWZBL) {
+    ::testing::internal::CaptureStdout();
+    PotentialFileReader reader(lmp, "SiC.gw.zbl", "GWZBL");
+    ::testing::internal::GetCapturedStdout();
+
+    auto line = reader.next_line(PairGWZBL::NPARAMS_PER_LINE);
+    ASSERT_EQ(utils::count_words(line), PairGWZBL::NPARAMS_PER_LINE);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     MPI_Init(&argc, &argv);