diff --git a/doc/XMLreference.rst b/doc/XMLreference.rst
index 62c0c191..6ce1ce42 100644
--- a/doc/XMLreference.rst
+++ b/doc/XMLreference.rst
@@ -3319,6 +3319,11 @@ coordinates results in compiler error. See :ref:`CComposite` in the modeling gui
 :at:`vertex`: :at-val:`real(3*nvert), optional`
    Vertex 3D positions in global coordinates (cable only).
 
+.. _body-composite-face:
+
+:at:`face`: :at-val:`real(3*nvert), optional`
+   Face connectivity of the vertices (shell only).
+
 .. _body-composite-initial:
 
 :at:`initial`: :at-val:`[free, ball, none], "0"`
diff --git a/doc/XMLschema.rst b/doc/XMLschema.rst
index ee7ad48c..2210168f 100644
--- a/doc/XMLschema.rst
+++ b/doc/XMLschema.rst
@@ -390,7 +390,9 @@
 |                                    |    |    +-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
 |                                    |    |    | :ref:`offset<body-composite-offset>`                            | :ref:`flatinertia<body-composite-flatinertia>`                  | :ref:`solrefsmooth<body-composite-solrefsmooth>`                | :ref:`solimpsmooth<body-composite-solimpsmooth>`                | |
 |                                    |    |    +-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
-|                                    |    |    | :ref:`vertex<body-composite-vertex>`                            | :ref:`initial<body-composite-initial>`                          | :ref:`curve<body-composite-curve>`                              | :ref:`size<body-composite-size>`                                | |
+|                                    |    |    | :ref:`vertex<body-composite-vertex>`                            | :ref:`face<body-composite-face>`                                | :ref:`initial<body-composite-initial>`                          | :ref:`curve<body-composite-curve>`                              | |
+|                                    |    |    +-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
+|                                    |    |    | :ref:`size<body-composite-size>`                                |                                                                 |                                                                 |                                                                 | |
 |                                    |    |    +-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------+ |
 +------------------------------------+----+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | |_2| composite |br| |_2| |L|       |    | .. table::                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
diff --git a/src/user/user_composite.cc b/src/user/user_composite.cc
index b44b1600..7a8558c6 100644
--- a/src/user/user_composite.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_composite.cc
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ bool mjCComposite::Make(mjCModel* model, mjCBody* body, char* error, int error_s
   }
 
   // check spacing
-  if (type==mjCOMPTYPE_GRID || type==mjCOMPTYPE_PARTICLE) {
+  if (type==mjCOMPTYPE_GRID || (type==mjCOMPTYPE_PARTICLE && uservert.empty())) {
     if (spacing < mju_max(def[0].geom.size[0],
                   mju_max(def[0].geom.size[1], def[0].geom.size[2]))) {
       return comperr(error, "Spacing must be larger than geometry size",
@@ -2192,7 +2192,7 @@ void mjCComposite::MakeSkin3(mjCModel* model) {
   }
 
   // box
-  if (type==mjCOMPTYPE_BOX || type==mjCOMPTYPE_PARTICLE) {
+  else if (type==mjCOMPTYPE_BOX || type==mjCOMPTYPE_PARTICLE) {
     // z-faces
     MakeSkin3Box(skin, count[0], count[1], 1, vcnt, "%sB%d_%d_0");
     fmt = "%sB%d_%d_" + string(cnt2);
diff --git a/src/xml/xml_native_reader.cc b/src/xml/xml_native_reader.cc
index 3f04b6e5..3026dfb5 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml_native_reader.cc
+++ b/src/xml/xml_native_reader.cc
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ static const char* MJCF[nMJCF][mjXATTRNUM] = {
         {"light", "*", "15", "name", "class", "directional", "castshadow", "active",
             "pos", "dir", "attenuation", "cutoff", "exponent", "ambient", "diffuse", "specular",
             "mode", "target"},
-        {"composite", "*", "12", "prefix", "type", "count", "spacing", "offset",
-            "flatinertia", "solrefsmooth", "solimpsmooth", "vertex",
+        {"composite", "*", "13", "prefix", "type", "count", "spacing", "offset",
+            "flatinertia", "solrefsmooth", "solimpsmooth", "vertex", "face",
             "initial", "curve", "size"},
         {"<"},
             {"plugin", "*", "2", "plugin", "instance"},
@@ -1943,6 +1943,9 @@ void mjXReader::OneComposite(XMLElement* elem, mjCBody* pbody, mjCDef* def) {
     String2Vector(text, comp.uservert);
   }
 
+  // shell
+  ReadAttrTxt(elem, "face", comp.userface);
+
   // process curve string
   std::istringstream iss(curves);
   int i = 0;