diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/boxlib/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/boxlib/package.py
index 6f36545ed28..aa82407333a 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/boxlib/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/boxlib/package.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def cmake_args(self):
         options.extend(
             [
                 "-DBL_SPACEDIM=%d" % int(spec.variants["dims"].value),
+                "-DBL_USE_PARTICLES=1",
                 "-DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE:BOOL=ON",
                 "-DENABLE_FBASELIB=ON",
                 "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=%s" % spec["mpi"].mpicc,