diff --git a/python/lammps.py b/python/lammps.py
index 285596caa6260385b2271b888865213669c7b112..c2e9fa983bae1f6ddcad5e888dbfb5634c5dda38 100644
--- a/python/lammps.py
+++ b/python/lammps.py
@@ -383,6 +383,12 @@ class Atom(object):
             self.lmp.eval("y[%d]" % self.index),
             self.lmp.eval("z[%d]" % self.index))
 
+  @position.setter
+  def position(self, value):
+     self.lmp.set("atom", self.index, "x", value[0])
+     self.lmp.set("atom", self.index, "y", value[1])
+     self.lmp.set("atom", self.index, "z", value[2])
+
   @property
   def velocity(self):
     return (self.lmp.eval("vx[%d]" % self.index),
@@ -409,6 +415,11 @@ class Atom2D(Atom):
     return (self.lmp.eval("x[%d]" % self.index),
             self.lmp.eval("y[%d]" % self.index))
 
+  @position.setter
+  def position(self, value):
+     self.lmp.set("atom", self.index, "x", value[0])
+     self.lmp.set("atom", self.index, "y", value[1])
+
   @property
   def velocity(self):
     return (self.lmp.eval("vx[%d]" % self.index),