diff --git a/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.C b/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.C
index c16a67371a..dff5dac387 100644
--- a/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.C
+++ b/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.C
@@ -70,4 +70,10 @@ Foam::tmp<Foam::volScalarField> Foam::basicRhoThermo::rho() const
 }
 
 
+Foam::volScalarField& Foam::basicRhoThermo::rho()
+{
+    return rho_;
+}
+
+
 // ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.H b/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.H
index 6e7545f463..04e8ea1c33 100644
--- a/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.H
+++ b/src/thermophysicalModels/basic/rhoThermo/basicRhoThermo/basicRhoThermo.H
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ namespace Foam
 {
 
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
-                        Class basicRhoThermo Declaration
+                       Class basicRhoThermo Declaration
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 class basicRhoThermo
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ public:
 
             //- Density [kg/m^3]
             virtual tmp<volScalarField> rho() const;
+
+            //- Return non-const access to the local density field [kg/m^3]
+            virtual volScalarField& rho();
 };