diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index f7fe79d18..689956a52 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Since last release
 **Added:**
 * Added package parameter to storage (#603, #612, #616)
 * Added package parameter to source (#613, #617)
+* Added default keep packaging to reactor (#618)
 
 **Changed:**
 
diff --git a/src/reactor.cc b/src/reactor.cc
index 27297cc29..30e7857eb 100644
--- a/src/reactor.cc
+++ b/src/reactor.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Reactor::Reactor(cyclus::Context* ctx)
       discharged(false),
       latitude(0.0),
       longitude(0.0),
+      keep_packaging(true),
       coordinates(latitude, longitude) {}
 
 
@@ -62,6 +63,11 @@ void Reactor::InitFrom(cyclus::QueryableBackend* b) {
 void Reactor::EnterNotify() {
   cyclus::Facility::EnterNotify();
 
+  // Set keep packaging parameter in all ResBufs
+  fresh.keep_packaging(keep_packaging);
+  core.keep_packaging(keep_packaging);
+  spent.keep_packaging(keep_packaging);
+
   // If the user ommitted fuel_prefs, we set it to zeros for each fuel
   // type.  Without this segfaults could occur - yuck.
   if (fuel_prefs.size() == 0) {
diff --git a/src/reactor.h b/src/reactor.h
index d412f2026..7767403fb 100644
--- a/src/reactor.h
+++ b/src/reactor.h
@@ -407,6 +407,18 @@ class Reactor : public cyclus::Facility,
   }
   std::vector<double> pref_change_values;
 
+  #pragma cyclus var { \
+    "default": true, \
+    "tooltip": "Whether to persist packaging throughout the reactor", \
+    "doc": "Boolean value about whether to keep packaging. If true, " \
+           "packaging will not be stripped upon acceptance into the " \
+           "reactor. If false, package type will be stripped immediately " \
+           "upon acceptance. Has no effect if the incoming material is not " \
+           "packaged.", \
+    "uilabel": "Keep Packaging", \
+    "uitype": "bool"}
+  bool keep_packaging;
+
   // Resource inventories - these must be defined AFTER/BELOW the member vars
   // referenced (e.g. n_batch_fresh, assem_size, etc.).
   #pragma cyclus var {"capacity": "n_assem_fresh * assem_size"}
diff --git a/src/sink.cc b/src/sink.cc
index bb7894e5a..b2b564438 100644
--- a/src/sink.cc
+++ b/src/sink.cc
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Sink::Sink(cyclus::Context* ctx)
       capacity(std::numeric_limits<double>::max()),
       latitude(0.0),
       longitude(0.0),
+      keep_packaging(true),
       coordinates(latitude, longitude) {
   SetMaxInventorySize(std::numeric_limits<double>::max());}
 
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@ void Sink::EnterNotify() {
   cyclus::Facility::EnterNotify();
   LOG(cyclus::LEV_INFO4, "SnkFac") << " using random behavior " << random_size_type;
 
+  inventory.keep_packaging(keep_packaging);
+
   if (in_commod_prefs.size() == 0) {
     for (int i = 0; i < in_commods.size(); ++i) {
       in_commod_prefs.push_back(cyclus::kDefaultPref);
diff --git a/src/sink.h b/src/sink.h
index 0355d0e0e..b9be25ca7 100644
--- a/src/sink.h
+++ b/src/sink.h
@@ -257,6 +257,18 @@ class Sink
                              f"frequency of the request, this is the upper bound. Default {CY_LARGE_INT} (CY_LARGE_INT)"}
   int random_frequency_max;
 
+  #pragma cyclus var { \
+    "default": true, \
+    "tooltip": "Whether to persist packaging in the sink.", \
+    "doc": "Boolean value about whether to keep packaging. If true, " \
+           "packaging will not be stripped upon acceptance into the " \
+           "sink. If false, package type will be stripped immediately " \
+           "upon acceptance. Has no effect if the incoming material is not " \
+           "packaged.", \
+    "uilabel": "Keep Packaging", \
+    "uitype": "bool"}
+  bool keep_packaging;
+
   #pragma cyclus var { \
     "default": 0.0, \
     "uilabel": "Geographical latitude in degrees as a double", \