diff --git a/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C b/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C
index 8278fef2..2b186299 100644
--- a/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C
+++ b/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
             <<"\nNumber of visualization points: "
             << n[0] <<" "<< n[1] << " " << n[2] << std::endl;
 
-  HDF5Writer hdf(strtok(infile,"."),true);
+  HDF5Writer hdf(strtok(infile,"."),true,true);
   XMLWriter xml(infile);
   xml.readInfo();
 
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
     }
     if (!ok) return 3;
   }
+  hdf.closeFile(levels,true);
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/Utility/DataExporter.h b/src/Utility/DataExporter.h
index e0f2c0a3..b607fa5e 100644
--- a/src/Utility/DataExporter.h
+++ b/src/Utility/DataExporter.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class DataExporter
   //! \brief Default constructor.
   //! \param[in] dynWriters If \e true, delete the writers on destruction.
   DataExporter(bool dynWriters = false) : m_delete(dynWriters), m_level(-1) {}
-  //! \brief The desctructor deletes the writers if \a dynWriters was \e true.
+  //! \brief The destructor deletes the writers if \a dynWriters was \e true.
   ~DataExporter();
 
   //! \brief Registers an entry for storage.
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public:
   virtual int getLastTimeLevel() = 0;
 
   virtual void openFile(int level) = 0;
-  virtual void closeFile(int level) = 0;
+  virtual void closeFile(int level, bool force=false) = 0;
 
   virtual void writeVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry) = 0;
   virtual bool readVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry) = 0;
diff --git a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C
index f0849280..37fb02fb 100644
--- a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C
+++ b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 #endif
 
 
-HDF5Writer::HDF5Writer (const std::string& name, bool append)
-  : DataWriter(name+".hdf5")
+HDF5Writer::HDF5Writer (const std::string& name, bool append, bool keepOpen)
+  : DataWriter(name+".hdf5"), m_file(0), m_keepOpen(keepOpen)
 {
 #ifdef HAS_HDF5
   struct stat temp;
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ int HDF5Writer::getLastTimeLevel ()
 
 void HDF5Writer::openFile(int level)
 {
+  if (m_file)
+    return;
 #ifdef HAS_HDF5
   hid_t acc_tpl = H5P_DEFAULT;
 #ifdef PARALLEL_PETSC
@@ -83,12 +85,15 @@ void HDF5Writer::openFile(int level)
 #endif
 }
 
-void HDF5Writer::closeFile(int level)
+void HDF5Writer::closeFile(int level, bool force)
 {
+  if (m_keepOpen && !force)
+    return;
 #ifdef HAS_HDF5
   H5Fflush(m_file,H5F_SCOPE_GLOBAL);
   H5Fclose(m_file);
   m_flag = H5F_ACC_RDWR;
+  m_file = 0;
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h
index 3a16824a..63be7e02 100644
--- a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h
+++ b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ class SIMbase;
 class HDF5Writer : public DataWriter
 {
 public:
-  HDF5Writer(const std::string& name, bool append = false);
+  HDF5Writer(const std::string& name, bool append = false, bool keepopen=false);
   virtual ~HDF5Writer() {}
 
   virtual int getLastTimeLevel();
 
   virtual void openFile(int level);
-  virtual void closeFile(int level);
+  virtual void closeFile(int level, bool force=false);
 
   virtual void writeVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
   virtual bool readVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
@@ -41,4 +41,5 @@ protected:
 
   int          m_file;
   unsigned int m_flag;
+  bool m_keepOpen;
 };
diff --git a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C
index ec485d5a..45cfb706 100644
--- a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C
+++ b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ void XMLWriter::openFile(int level)
   m_node = m_doc->InsertEndChild(element);
 }
 
-void XMLWriter::closeFile(int level)
+void XMLWriter::closeFile(int level, bool close)
 {
   if (!m_doc || m_rank != 0)
     return;
diff --git a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h
index fb45a207..debc98a9 100644
--- a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h
+++ b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public:
   const std::vector<Entry>& getEntries() const { return m_entry; }
 
   virtual void openFile(int level);
-  virtual void closeFile(int level);
+  virtual void closeFile(int level, bool force=false);
 
   virtual void writeVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
   virtual bool readVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry);