diff --git a/bash/ucftar_pack b/bash/ucftar_pack
index 818e223..3b358e0 100755
--- a/bash/ucftar_pack
+++ b/bash/ucftar_pack
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ fgrid="grid_${seqnum}.bin"
 fproc="proc_${seqnum}.bin"
 fpart="particles_${seqnum}.bin"
 fbuvwp="uvwp_"
-fbscal="scal_"
 
 # Check if obligatory files are present
 if [ ! -s ${din}/${fparam} ]; then
@@ -117,19 +116,6 @@ for (( ii=0; ii<$nproc; ii++ )); do
   fuvwp+=($ftmp)
 done
 
-# Check if all scalar fields exist (if any) and are not empty
-if grep -q "scalar" "${din}/${fparam}"; then
-  fscal=()
-  for (( ii=0; ii<$nproc; ii++ )); do
-    ftmp=$(printf ${fbscal}${seqnum}.%05d $ii)
-    if [ ! -s ${din}/${ftmp} ]; then
-      (>&2 echo "[Error] File not found or empty: ${din}/${ftmp}")
-      exit 1
-    fi
-    fscal+=($ftmp)
-  done
-fi
-
 # Verbose info
 if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
   (>&2 echo "[x] parameters")
@@ -137,15 +123,10 @@ if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
   (>&2 echo "[x] processor grid")
   (>&2 echo "[x] particles")
   (>&2 echo "[x] fluid fields")
-  if [ ${#fscal[@]} -ne 0 ]; then
-    (>&2 echo "[x] scalar fields")
-  else
-    (>&2 echo "[ ] scalar fields")
-  fi
 fi
 
 # Create a full file list for the archive
-flist=(${fparam} ${fgrid} ${fproc} ${fpart} ${fuvwp[@]} ${fscal[@]})
+flist=(${fparam} ${fgrid} ${fproc} ${fpart} ${fuvwp[@]})
 
 # Now tar them and remove seqence number from file names while doing so
 flagtar=""
diff --git a/bash/ucftar_scalar_pack b/bash/ucftar_scalar_pack
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e2b0a00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bash/ucftar_scalar_pack
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+display_help() {
+    (>&2 echo "Usage: $(basename "$0") [-chqv] [-o outfile] indir iseq")
+    (>&2 echo "UCF tar scalar packer")
+    (>&2 echo)
+    (>&2 echo "   indir                   path to input directory")
+    (>&2 echo "   iseq                    sequence number with leading zeros")
+    (>&2 echo "   -c, --checksum          compares checksums after the archive is created")
+    (>&2 echo "   -h, --help              display this help message")
+    (>&2 echo "   -o, --outfile           output file (default: snapshot_XXXX.ucf.tar)")
+    (>&2 echo "   -q, --quicksum          same as --checksum, but compares only first bytes")
+    (>&2 echo "   -v, --verbose           verbose output")
+}
+exit_script() {
+    #trap - SIGINT SIGTERM  # clear the trap
+    #kill -- -$$            # Sends SIGTERM to child/sub processes
+    (>&2 echo "SIGINT/SIGTERM received: removing archive")
+    rm $fout
+}
+# Parse command line arguments
+if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
+  display_help
+  exit -1
+fi
+fout=""
+verbose=0
+checksum=0
+quicksum=0
+POSITIONAL=()
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]
+do
+key="$1"
+case $key in
+    -h|--help)
+    display_help
+    exit 0
+    shift # past argument
+    ;;
+    -o|--outfile)
+    fout="$2"
+    shift # past argument
+    shift # past value
+    ;;
+    -v|--verbose)
+    verbose=1
+    shift # past argument
+    ;;
+    -c|--checksum)
+    checksum=1
+    shift # past argument
+    ;;
+    -q|--quicksum)
+    quicksum=1
+    shift # past argument
+    ;;
+    *)    # unknown option
+    POSITIONAL+=("$1") # save it in an array for later
+    shift # past argument
+    ;;
+esac
+done
+set -- "${POSITIONAL[@]}"
+
+# Parse input filename
+din=$1
+seqnum=$2 
+
+# Construct output filename if not specified
+if [ -z "$fout" ]; then
+  fout="snapshot_scal_${seqnum}.ucf.tar"
+fi
+
+# Display verbose info
+if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "Creating archive: $fout")
+fi
+
+# Check input files
+fparam="parameters_${seqnum}.asc"
+fgrid="grid_${seqnum}.bin"
+fproc="proc_${seqnum}.bin"
+fpart="particles_${seqnum}.bin"
+fbscal="scal_"
+
+# Check if obligatory files are present
+if [ ! -s ${din}/${fparam} ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "[Error] File not found or empty: ${din}/${fparam}")
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [ ! -s ${din}/${fgrid} ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "[Error] File not found or empty: ${din}/${fgrid}")
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [ ! -s ${din}/${fproc} ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "[Error] File not found or empty: ${din}/${fproc}")
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [ ! -s ${din}/${fpart} ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "[Error] File not found or empty: ${din}/${fpart}")
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check if all velocity fields exist and are not empty
+nproc=$(cat ${din}/${fparam} | grep "nprocs" | awk '{print $NF}')
+if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "Number of processors: $nproc")
+fi
+
+# Check if all scalar fields exist (if any) and are not empty
+fscal=()
+for (( ii=0; ii<$nproc; ii++ )); do
+  ftmp=$(printf ${fbscal}${seqnum}.%05d $ii)
+  if [ ! -s ${din}/${ftmp} ]; then
+    (>&2 echo "[Error] File not found or empty: ${din}/${ftmp}")
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  fscal+=($ftmp)
+done
+
+# Verbose info
+if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "[x] parameters")
+  (>&2 echo "[x] grid")
+  (>&2 echo "[x] processor grid")
+  (>&2 echo "[x] particles")
+  (>&2 echo "[x] scalar fields")
+fi
+
+# Create a full file list for the archive
+flist=(${fparam} ${fgrid} ${fproc} ${fpart} ${fscal[@]})
+
+# Now tar them and remove seqence number from file names while doing so
+flagtar=""
+if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+  flagtar="$flagtar --verbose"
+fi
+trap exit_script SIGINT SIGTERM
+tar $flagtar --format ustar --transform="flags=r;s|_$seqnum||" --directory=${din} -cf ${fout} ${flist[@]}
+tarexit=$?
+# Set exit status accoring to tar
+if [ $tarexit -ne 0 ]; then
+  (>&2 echo "tar failed with exit code $tarexit")
+  exit 254
+fi
+
+# Compare checksums (CNC32), if flag is set
+#din="./archive/" #for testing
+flistx=($(echo ${flist[@]} | sed s/"_$seqnum"/""/g))
+if [ $checksum -eq 1 ]; then
+  for ii in "${!flistx[@]}"; do 
+    if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+      (>&2 echo "Verifying checksum: ${flist[$ii]}")
+    fi
+    crcori=$(cksum ${din}/${flist[$ii]} | awk '{ print $1, $2 }')
+    crctar=$(tar --to-command='cksum -' -xf ${fout} ${flistx[$ii]} | awk '{ print $1, $2 }')
+    if [ "$crcori" != "$crctar" ]; then
+      (>&2 echo "Verification failed: ${flist[$ii]} ${flistx[$ii]}")
+      exit 5
+    fi
+  done
+elif [ $quicksum -eq 1 ]; then
+  for ii in "${!flistx[@]}"; do
+    if [ $verbose -eq 1 ]; then
+      (>&2 echo "Verifying partial checksum: ${flist[$ii]}")
+    fi
+    crcori=$(head -c 1M ${din}/${flist[$ii]} | cksum -)
+    crctar=$(tar --to-command='head -c 1M' -xf ${fout} ${flistx[$ii]} | cksum -)
+    if [ "$crcori" != "$crctar" ]; then
+      (>&2 echo "Verification failed: ${flist[$ii]} ${flistx[$ii]}")
+      exit 5
+    fi
+  done
+fi
+
+exit 0