diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UList.H b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UList.H
index 06ef4cbb61..92557d3d35 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UList.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UList.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ template<class T> class SubList;
 // Forward declaration of friend functions and operators
 template<class T> class UList;
 template<class T> Ostream& operator<<(Ostream&, const UList<T>&);
+template<class T> Istream& operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&);
 
 typedef UList<label> labelUList;
 
@@ -331,6 +332,14 @@ public:
             Ostream&,
             const UList<T>&
         );
+
+        //- Read UList contents from Istream. Requires size to have been set
+        //  before.
+        friend Istream& operator>> <T>
+        (
+            Istream&,
+            UList<T>&
+        );
 };
 
 template<class T>
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UListIO.C b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UListIO.C
index 9f4ad79aab..a8bd6bf1c3 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UListIO.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/containers/Lists/UList/UListIO.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2012 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2013 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ License
 #include "UList.H"
 #include "Ostream.H"
 #include "token.H"
+#include "SLList.H"
 #include "contiguous.H"
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ostream Operator *  * * * * * * * * * * * * //
@@ -137,4 +138,155 @@ Foam::Ostream& Foam::operator<<(Foam::Ostream& os, const Foam::UList<T>& L)
 }
 
 
+template<class T>
+Foam::Istream& Foam::operator>>(Istream& is, UList<T>& L)
+{
+    is.fatalCheck("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&)");
+
+    token firstToken(is);
+
+    is.fatalCheck("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&) : reading first token");
+
+    if (firstToken.isCompound())
+    {
+        List<T> elems;
+        elems.transfer
+        (
+            dynamicCast<token::Compound<List<T> > >
+            (
+                firstToken.transferCompoundToken(is)
+            )
+        );
+        // Check list length
+        label s = elems.size();
+
+        if (s != L.size())
+        {
+            FatalIOErrorIn("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&)", is)
+                << "incorrect length for UList. Read " << s
+                << " expected " << L.size()
+                << exit(FatalIOError);
+        }
+        for (register label i=0; i<s; i++)
+        {
+            L[i] = elems[i];
+        }
+    }
+    else if (firstToken.isLabel())
+    {
+        label s = firstToken.labelToken();
+
+        // Set list length to that read
+        if (s != L.size())
+        {
+            FatalIOErrorIn("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&)", is)
+                << "incorrect length for UList. Read " << s
+                << " expected " << L.size()
+                << exit(FatalIOError);
+        }
+
+        // Read list contents depending on data format
+
+        if (is.format() == IOstream::ASCII || !contiguous<T>())
+        {
+            // Read beginning of contents
+            char delimiter = is.readBeginList("List");
+
+            if (s)
+            {
+                if (delimiter == token::BEGIN_LIST)
+                {
+                    for (register label i=0; i<s; i++)
+                    {
+                        is >> L[i];
+
+                        is.fatalCheck
+                        (
+                            "operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&) : reading entry"
+                        );
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    T element;
+                    is >> element;
+
+                    is.fatalCheck
+                    (
+                        "operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&) : "
+                        "reading the single entry"
+                    );
+
+                    for (register label i=0; i<s; i++)
+                    {
+                        L[i] = element;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Read end of contents
+            is.readEndList("List");
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            if (s)
+            {
+                is.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(L.data()), s*sizeof(T));
+
+                is.fatalCheck
+                (
+                    "operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&) : reading the binary block"
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    else if (firstToken.isPunctuation())
+    {
+        if (firstToken.pToken() != token::BEGIN_LIST)
+        {
+            FatalIOErrorIn("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&)", is)
+                << "incorrect first token, expected '(', found "
+                << firstToken.info()
+                << exit(FatalIOError);
+        }
+
+        // Putback the opening bracket
+        is.putBack(firstToken);
+
+        // Now read as a singly-linked list
+        SLList<T> sll(is);
+
+        if (sll.size() != L.size())
+        {
+            FatalIOErrorIn("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&)", is)
+                << "incorrect length for UList. Read " << sll.size()
+                << " expected " << L.size()
+                << exit(FatalIOError);
+        }
+
+        // Convert the singly-linked list to this list
+        label i = 0;
+        for
+        (
+            typename SLList<T>::const_iterator iter = sll.begin();
+            iter != sll.end();
+            ++iter
+        )
+        {
+            L[i] = iter();
+        }
+
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        FatalIOErrorIn("operator>>(Istream&, UList<T>&)", is)
+            << "incorrect first token, expected <int> or '(', found "
+            << firstToken.info()
+            << exit(FatalIOError);
+    }
+
+    return is;
+}
+
+
 // ************************************************************************* //