diff --git a/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleIO.H b/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleIO.H
index a10f9973a01..c243a61d81d 100644
--- a/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleIO.H
+++ b/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleIO.H
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
 {
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
     Vector<std::string> tmp_real_comp_names;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i )
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i )
     {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
         if (real_comp_names.empty())
@@ -96,7 +98,9 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
 {
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
     Vector<std::string> real_comp_names;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i )
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i )
     {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
         std::stringstream ss;
@@ -127,11 +131,16 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
                  const Vector<std::string>& real_comp_names,
                  const Vector<std::string>& int_comp_names) const
 {
-    AMREX_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NStructReal + NumRealComps());
+    if constexpr(ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
     AMREX_ASSERT( int_comp_names.size() == NStructInt  + NumIntComps() );
 
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i) {
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i) {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
     }
 
@@ -153,10 +162,15 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
 ::WritePlotFile (const std::string& dir, const std::string& name,
                  const Vector<std::string>& real_comp_names) const
 {
-    AMREX_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NStructReal + NumRealComps());
+    if constexpr(ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
 
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i) {
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i) {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
     }
 
@@ -188,11 +202,17 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
                  const Vector<int>& write_real_comp,
                  const Vector<int>& write_int_comp) const
 {
-    AMREX_ASSERT(write_real_comp.size() == NStructReal + NumRealComps());
+
+    if constexpr(ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(write_real_comp.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(write_real_comp.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
     AMREX_ASSERT(write_int_comp.size()  == NStructInt  + NArrayInt );
 
     Vector<std::string> real_comp_names;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i )
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i )
     {
         std::stringstream ss;
         ss << "real_comp" << i;
@@ -239,7 +259,9 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
 {
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
     Vector<std::string> real_comp_names;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i )
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i )
     {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
         std::stringstream ss;
@@ -271,11 +293,16 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
                  const Vector<std::string>& real_comp_names,
                  const Vector<std::string>& int_comp_names, F&& f) const
 {
-    AMREX_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NStructReal + NumRealComps());
+    if constexpr(ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
     AMREX_ASSERT( int_comp_names.size() == NStructInt  + NArrayInt );
 
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i) {
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i) {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
     }
 
@@ -298,10 +325,15 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
 ::WritePlotFile (const std::string& dir, const std::string& name,
                  const Vector<std::string>& real_comp_names, F&& f) const
 {
-    AMREX_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NStructReal + NumRealComps());
+    if constexpr(ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
 
     Vector<int> write_real_comp;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i) {
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i) {
         write_real_comp.push_back(1);
     }
 
@@ -334,11 +366,16 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
                  const Vector<int>& write_real_comp,
                  const Vector<int>& write_int_comp, F&& f) const
 {
-    AMREX_ASSERT(write_real_comp.size() == NStructReal + NumRealComps());
+    if constexpr(ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(write_real_comp.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(write_real_comp.size() == NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
     AMREX_ASSERT(write_int_comp.size()  == NStructInt  + NumIntComps() );
 
     Vector<std::string> real_comp_names;
-    for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + NumRealComps(); ++i )
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    for (int i = 0; i < nrc; ++i )
     {
         std::stringstream ss;
         ss << "real_comp" << i;
@@ -680,8 +717,9 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
 
     int nr;
     HdrFile >> nr;
-    if (nr != NStructReal + NumRealComps()) {
-        amrex::Abort("ParticleContainer::Restart(): nr != NStructReal + NumRealComps()");
+    int nrc = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() - AMREX_SPACEDIM : NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    if (nr != nrc) {
+        amrex::Abort("ParticleContainer::Restart(): nr not the expected value");
     }
 
     std::string comp_name;
@@ -929,7 +967,7 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
     readIntData(istuff.dataPtr(), istuff.size(), ifs, FPC::NativeIntDescriptor());
 
     // Then the real data in binary.
-    const int rChunkSize = AMREX_SPACEDIM + NStructReal + NumRealComps();
+    const int rChunkSize = ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? NStructReal + NumRealComps() : AMREX_SPACEDIM + NStructReal + NumRealComps();
     Vector<RTYPE> rstuff(std::size_t(cnt)*rChunkSize);
     ReadParticleRealData(rstuff.dataPtr(), rstuff.size(), ifs);
 
diff --git a/Src/Particle/AMReX_WriteBinaryParticleData.H b/Src/Particle/AMReX_WriteBinaryParticleData.H
index 105a254a348..449c26c6ef2 100644
--- a/Src/Particle/AMReX_WriteBinaryParticleData.H
+++ b/Src/Particle/AMReX_WriteBinaryParticleData.H
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ packIOData (Vector<int>& idata, Vector<ParticleReal>& rdata, const PC& pc, int l
     idata.resize(np*iChunkSize);
 
     int num_output_real = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < pc.NumRealComps() + PC::NStructReal; ++i) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < (int) write_real_comp.size(); ++i) {
         if (write_real_comp[i]) { ++num_output_real; }
     }
 
@@ -361,7 +361,9 @@ packIOData (Vector<int>& idata, Vector<ParticleReal>& rdata, const PC& pc, int l
                 // extra SoA Real components
                 const int real_start_offset = PC::ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? AMREX_SPACEDIM : 0; // pure SoA: skip positions
                 for (int j = real_start_offset; j < pc.NumRealComps(); j++) {
-                    if (write_real_comp[PC::NStructReal+j]) {
+                    const int write_comp_offset = PC::ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? AMREX_SPACEDIM : 0; // pure SoA: skip positions
+                    const int write_comp_index = PC::NStructReal+j-write_comp_offset;
+                    if (write_real_comp[write_comp_index]) {
                         *rptr = (ParticleReal) soa.GetRealData(j)[pindex];
                         ++rptr;
                     }
@@ -393,7 +395,11 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataSync (PC const& pc,
     const int NProcs = ParallelDescriptor::NProcs();
     const int IOProcNumber = ParallelDescriptor::IOProcessorNumber();
 
-    AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    if constexpr(PC::ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
     AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT( int_comp_names.size() == pc.NumIntComps() + NStructInt);
 
     std::string pdir = dir;
@@ -476,7 +482,7 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataSync (PC const& pc,
         }
 
         int num_output_real = 0;
-        for (int i = 0; i < pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal; ++i) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < (int) write_real_comp.size(); ++i) {
             if (write_real_comp[i]) { ++num_output_real; }
         }
 
@@ -492,7 +498,7 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataSync (PC const& pc,
         HdrFile << num_output_real << '\n';
 
         // Real component names
-        for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + pc.NumRealComps(); ++i ) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < (int) real_comp_names.size(); ++i ) {
             if (write_real_comp[i]) { HdrFile << real_comp_names[i] << '\n'; }
         }
 
@@ -683,7 +689,11 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataAsync (PC const& pc,
     const int NProcs = ParallelDescriptor::NProcs();
     const int IOProcNumber = NProcs - 1;
 
-    AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    if constexpr(PC::ParticleType::is_soa_particle) {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal - AMREX_SPACEDIM); // pure SoA: skip positions
+    } else {
+        AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(real_comp_names.size() == pc.NumRealComps() + NStructReal);
+    }
     AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT( int_comp_names.size() == pc.NumIntComps() + NStructInt);
 
     Vector<LayoutData<Long> > np_per_grid_local(pc.finestLevel()+1);
@@ -847,6 +857,7 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataAsync (PC const& pc,
 
     int nrc = pc.NumRealComps();
     int nic = pc.NumIntComps();
+    int rnames_size = (int) real_comp_names.size();
 
     auto RD = pc.ParticleRealDescriptor;
 
@@ -881,7 +892,7 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataAsync (PC const& pc,
             }
 
             int num_output_real = 0;
-            for (int i = 0; i < nrc + NStructReal; ++i) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < rnames_size; ++i) {
                 if (write_real_comp[i]) { ++num_output_real; }
             }
 
@@ -897,7 +908,7 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataAsync (PC const& pc,
             HdrFile << num_output_real << '\n';
 
             // Real component names
-            for (int i = 0; i < NStructReal + nrc; ++i ) {
+            for (int i = 0; i < rnames_size; ++i ) {
                 if (write_real_comp[i]) { HdrFile << real_comp_names[i] << '\n'; }
             }
 
@@ -1047,7 +1058,7 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataAsync (PC const& pc,
 
                 // Write the Real data in binary.
                 int num_output_real = 0;
-                for (int i = 0; i < nrc + NStructReal; ++i) {
+                for (int i = 0; i < rnames_size; ++i) {
                     if (write_real_comp[i]) { ++num_output_real; }
                 }
 
@@ -1093,7 +1104,9 @@ void WriteBinaryParticleDataAsync (PC const& pc,
                         const int real_start_offset = PC::ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? AMREX_SPACEDIM : 0; // pure SoA: positions
                         for (int j = real_start_offset; j < nrc; j++)
                         {
-                            if (write_real_comp[NStructReal+j])
+                    const int write_comp_offset = PC::ParticleType::is_soa_particle ? AMREX_SPACEDIM : 0; // pure SoA: skip positions
+                    const int write_comp_index = PC::NStructReal+j-write_comp_offset;
+                            if (write_real_comp[write_comp_index])
                             {
                                 *rptr = (typename PC::ParticleType::RealType) soa.GetRealData(j)[pindex];
                                 ++rptr;
diff --git a/Tests/Particles/CheckpointRestartSOA/main.cpp b/Tests/Particles/CheckpointRestartSOA/main.cpp
index e8629560196..0458239fdcd 100644
--- a/Tests/Particles/CheckpointRestartSOA/main.cpp
+++ b/Tests/Particles/CheckpointRestartSOA/main.cpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ void test ()
         amrex::Print() << " done \n";
 
         Vector<std::string> particle_realnames;
-        for (int i = 0; i < NReal; ++i) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < NReal-AMREX_SPACEDIM; ++i) {
             particle_realnames.push_back("particle_real_component_" + std::to_string(i));
         }