diff --git a/src/atlas_f/CMakeLists.txt b/src/atlas_f/CMakeLists.txt
index 181b26aeb..a065daad2 100644
--- a/src/atlas_f/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/atlas_f/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ ecbuild_add_library( TARGET atlas_f
         field/atlas_FieldSet_module.fypp
         field/atlas_State_module.F90
         field/atlas_Field_module.fypp
-        field/atlas_MultiField_module.F90
+        field/atlas_MultiField_module.fypp
         grid/atlas_Grid_module.F90
         grid/atlas_GridDistribution_module.F90
         grid/atlas_Vertical_module.F90
diff --git a/src/atlas_f/field/atlas_MultiField_module.F90 b/src/atlas_f/field/atlas_MultiField_module.fypp
similarity index 58%
rename from src/atlas_f/field/atlas_MultiField_module.F90
rename to src/atlas_f/field/atlas_MultiField_module.fypp
index 414b01b55..9c0e406b9 100644
--- a/src/atlas_f/field/atlas_MultiField_module.F90
+++ b/src/atlas_f/field/atlas_MultiField_module.fypp
@@ -8,10 +8,14 @@
 
 #include "atlas/atlas_f.h"
 
+#:include "atlas/atlas_f.fypp"
+#:include "internals/atlas_generics.fypp"
+
 module atlas_multifield_module
 
 use fckit_owned_object_module, only : fckit_owned_object
 use atlas_Config_module, only: atlas_Config
+use atlas_field_module, only: atlas_field, array_c_to_f
 use atlas_fieldset_module, only: atlas_fieldset
 
 implicit none
@@ -50,11 +54,40 @@ module atlas_multifield_module
   final :: atlas_MultiField__final_auto
 #endif
 
+#:for rank in ranks
+#:for dtype in dtypes
+  procedure, private :: access_data_${dtype}$_r${rank}$_by_name
+  procedure, private :: access_data_${dtype}$_r${rank}$_by_idx
+#:endfor
+#:endfor
+
+  generic, public :: data => &
+#:for rank in ranks
+#:for dtype in dtypes
+      & access_data_${dtype}$_r${rank}$_by_name, &
+      & access_data_${dtype}$_r${rank}$_by_idx, &
+#:endfor
+#:endfor
+      & dummy
+
+  procedure, private :: dummy
+
 END TYPE
 
 interface atlas_MultiField
   module procedure atlas_MultiField__cptr
   module procedure atlas_MultiField__create
+!#:for dtype in integer_dtypes
+!  module procedure atlas_MultiField__create_name_kind_shape_${dtype}$
+!  module procedure atlas_MultiField__create_kind_shape_${dtype}$
+!#:endfor
+
+!#:for rank in ranks
+!#:for dtype in dtypes
+!  module procedure atlas_MultiField__wrap_${dtype}$_r${rank}$
+!  module procedure atlas_MultiField__wrap_name_${dtype}$_r${rank}$
+!#:endfor
+!#:endfor
 end interface
 
 private :: fckit_owned_object
@@ -122,5 +155,49 @@ ATLAS_FINAL subroutine atlas_MultiField__final_auto(this)
 
 !-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+#:for rank  in ranks
+#:for dtype,ftype,ctype in types
+subroutine access_data_${dtype}$_r${rank}$_by_name(this, name, field)
+  use fckit_c_interop_module, only: c_str
+  use atlas_fieldset_c_binding
+  use, intrinsic :: iso_c_binding, only : c_ptr, c_int, c_long, c_float, c_double
+  class(atlas_MultiField), intent(in) :: this
+  character(len=*), intent(in) :: name
+  ${ftype}$, pointer, intent(inout) :: field(${dim[rank]}$)
+  type(c_ptr) :: field_cptr
+  type(c_ptr) :: shape_cptr
+  type(c_ptr) :: strides_cptr
+  integer(c_int) :: rank
+  type(atlas_FieldSet) :: fset
+  fset = this%fieldset()
+  call atlas__FieldSet__data_${ctype}$_specf(fset%CPTR_PGIBUG_A, c_str(name), field_cptr, rank, shape_cptr, strides_cptr)
+  call array_c_to_f(field_cptr, rank, shape_cptr, strides_cptr, field)
+end subroutine
+subroutine access_data_${dtype}$_r${rank}$_by_idx(this, idx, field)
+  use fckit_c_interop_module, only: c_str
+  use atlas_fieldset_c_binding
+  use, intrinsic :: iso_c_binding, only : c_ptr, c_int, c_long, c_float, c_double
+  class(atlas_MultiField), intent(in) :: this
+  integer, intent(in) :: idx
+  ${ftype}$, pointer, intent(inout) :: field(${dim[rank]}$)
+  type(c_ptr) :: field_cptr
+  type(c_ptr) :: shape_cptr
+  type(c_ptr) :: strides_cptr
+  integer(c_int) :: rank
+  type(atlas_FieldSet) :: fset
+  fset = this%fieldset()
+  call atlas__FieldSet__data_${ctype}$_specf_by_idx(fset%CPTR_PGIBUG_A, idx-1, field_cptr, rank, shape_cptr, strides_cptr)
+  call array_c_to_f(field_cptr, rank, shape_cptr, strides_cptr, field)
+end subroutine
+!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#:endfor
+#:endfor
+
+subroutine dummy(this)
+  use atlas_fieldset_c_binding
+  class(atlas_MultiField), intent(in) :: this
+  FCKIT_SUPPRESS_UNUSED(this)
+end subroutine
+
 end module atlas_multifield_module
 
diff --git a/src/tests/field/fctest_multifield_ifs.F90 b/src/tests/field/fctest_multifield_ifs.F90
index a1aa4a691..8cbef1e26 100644
--- a/src/tests/field/fctest_multifield_ifs.F90
+++ b/src/tests/field/fctest_multifield_ifs.F90
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ module fcta_MultiField_fixture
     type(atlas_FieldSet)    :: fieldset_1, fieldset_2
     type(atlas_Field)       :: field
     type(atlas_config)      :: config
-    real(c_double), pointer :: view(:,:,:)
+    integer, pointer :: fdata_int_2d(:,:)
+    real(c_float),  pointer :: fdata_real32_2d(:,:)
+    real(c_double), pointer :: fdata_real64_2d(:,:)
+    real(c_double), pointer :: fdata_real64(:,:,:)
 
     integer, parameter :: nvar = 5;
     integer, parameter :: nproma  = 16;
@@ -81,13 +84,19 @@ module fcta_MultiField_fixture
     fieldset_2 = atlas_FieldSet()
     call fieldset_2%add(multifield%fieldset())
     field = fieldset_2%field("density")
-    call field%data(view)
-    view(1,1,1) = 2.
+    call field%data(fdata_real64)
+    fdata_real64(1,1,1) = 2.
     call field%rename("dens")
 
+    ! check data access directly though multifield
+    !call multifield%data("density", fdata_real64)
+    call multifield%data("dens", fdata_real64)
+    fdata_real64(1,1,1) = 3.
+
     field = fieldset_1%field("dens")
-    call field%data(view)
-    FCTEST_CHECK_EQUAL(view(1,1,1), 2._c_double)
+    call field%data(fdata_real64)
+    FCTEST_CHECK_EQUAL(fdata_real64(1,1,1), 3._c_double)
+
 END_TEST
 
 ! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------