diff --git a/src/Ions.cc b/src/Ions.cc
index bc30417b..10baad10 100644
--- a/src/Ions.cc
+++ b/src/Ions.cc
@@ -1288,6 +1288,29 @@ void Ions::writeForces(HDFrestart& h5f_file)
     }
 }
 
+void Ions::setLocalForces(
+    const std::vector<double>& forces, const std::vector<std::string>& names)
+{
+    assert(forces.size() == 3 * names.size());
+
+    // loop over global list of forces and atom names
+    std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator s = names.begin();
+    for (auto it = forces.begin(); it != forces.end(); it += 3)
+    {
+        // find possible matching ion
+        for (auto& ion : local_ions_)
+        {
+            if (ion->compareName(*s))
+            {
+                ion->set_force(0, *it);
+                ion->set_force(1, *(it + 1));
+                ion->set_force(2, *(it + 2));
+            }
+        }
+        s++;
+    }
+}
+
 // Writes out the postions of the ions and the current forces on them by root
 void Ions::printForcesGlobal(std::ostream& os, const int root) const
 {
@@ -2187,6 +2210,22 @@ void Ions::getLocalPositions(std::vector<double>& tau) const
     }
 }
 
+void Ions::getLocalNames(std::vector<std::string>& names) const
+{
+    for (auto& ion : local_ions_)
+    {
+        names.push_back(ion->name());
+    }
+}
+
+void Ions::getNames(std::vector<std::string>& names) const
+{
+    for (auto& ion : list_ions_)
+    {
+        names.push_back(ion->name());
+    }
+}
+
 void Ions::getPositions(std::vector<double>& tau)
 {
     std::vector<double> tau_local(3 * local_ions_.size());
diff --git a/src/Ions.h b/src/Ions.h
index b03972d1..33b8982b 100644
--- a/src/Ions.h
+++ b/src/Ions.h
@@ -285,11 +285,20 @@ class Ions
         const std::vector<double>& tau, const std::vector<short>& anumbers);
 
     void getLocalPositions(std::vector<double>& tau) const;
+    void getLocalNames(std::vector<std::string>& names) const;
+    void getNames(std::vector<std::string>& names) const;
     void getPositions(std::vector<double>& tau);
     void getAtomicNumbers(std::vector<short>& atnumbers);
 
     void getForces(std::vector<double>& forces);
     void getLocalForces(std::vector<double>& tau) const;
+
+    /*!
+     * set forces for ions in local_ions_ based on names matching
+     */
+    void setLocalForces(const std::vector<double>& forces,
+        const std::vector<std::string>& names);
+
     void syncData(const std::vector<Species>& sp);
     // void syncNames(const int nions, std::vector<std::string>& local_names,
     // std::vector<std::string>& names);
diff --git a/tests/testIons.cc b/tests/testIons.cc
index 6bfdd74a..e23e0e24 100644
--- a/tests/testIons.cc
+++ b/tests/testIons.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
+    int status = 0;
+
     int mpirc = MPI_Init(&argc, &argv);
 
     MPI_Comm comm = MPI_COMM_WORLD;
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         if (ntotal != na)
         {
             std::cout << "ntotal = " << ntotal << std::endl;
-            return 1;
+            status = 1;
         }
     }
     MPI_Barrier(MPI_COMM_WORLD);
@@ -141,16 +143,49 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         MPI_Allreduce(&nlocal, &ntotal, 1, MPI_INT, MPI_SUM, comm);
         if (ntotal != na)
         {
-            std::cout << "ntotal = " << ntotal << std::endl;
-            return 1;
+            std::cerr << "ntotal = " << ntotal << std::endl;
+            MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // get the names of all the ions
+    std::vector<std::string> names;
+    ions.getNames(names);
+    if (myrank == 0)
+        for (auto& name : names)
+            std::cout << "name = " << name << std::endl;
+    if (names.size() != na)
+    {
+        std::cerr << "Incorrect count of names..." << std::endl;
+        MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+    MPI_Barrier(MPI_COMM_WORLD);
+
+    std::vector<double> forces(3 * na);
+    // arbitrary value
+    const double fval = 1.12;
+    for (auto& f : forces)
+        f = fval;
+    ions.setLocalForces(forces, names);
+
+    int nlocal = ions.getNumLocIons();
+    std::vector<double> lforces(3 * nlocal);
+    ions.getLocalForces(lforces);
+    for (auto& f : lforces)
+    {
+        if (std::abs(f - fval) > 1.e-14)
+        {
+            std::cerr << "f = " << f << std::endl;
+            MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
     }
+
     mpirc = MPI_Finalize();
     if (mpirc != MPI_SUCCESS)
     {
         std::cerr << "MPI Finalize failed!!!" << std::endl;
-        return 1;
+        status = 1;
     }
 
-    return 0;
+    return status;
 }