diff --git a/include/openmc/settings.h b/include/openmc/settings.h
index 74cbbc1328..ed9de630b2 100644
--- a/include/openmc/settings.h
+++ b/include/openmc/settings.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ extern "C" bool run_CE;               //!< run with continuous-energy data?
 extern bool source_latest;            //!< write latest source at each batch?
 extern bool source_separate;          //!< write source to separate file?
 extern bool source_write;             //!< write source in HDF5 files?
+extern bool surface_source;           //!< write surface source file?
 extern bool survival_biasing;         //!< use survival biasing?
 extern bool temperature_multipole;    //!< use multipole data?
 extern "C" bool trigger_on;           //!< tally triggers enabled?
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 5a868d445b..a4e294abf2 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ bool run_CE                  {true};
 bool source_latest           {false};
 bool source_separate         {false};
 bool source_write            {true};
+bool surface_source          {false};
 bool survival_biasing        {false};
 bool temperature_multipole   {false};
 bool trigger_on              {false};
@@ -622,6 +623,11 @@ void read_settings_xml()
     sourcepoint_batch = statepoint_batch;
   }
 
+  // Check if the user has specified to write surface source.
+  if (check_for_node(root, "surface_source")) {
+    surface_source = get_node_value_bool(root, "surface_source");
+  }
+
   // If source is not seperate and is to be written out in the statepoint file,
   // make sure that the sourcepoint batch numbers are contained in the
   // statepoint list