diff --git a/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C b/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C
index 3e741fca..acd60042 100644
--- a/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C
+++ b/Apps/HDF5toVTF/HDF5toVTF.C
@@ -219,10 +219,10 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
 
   bool ok = true;
   int block = 0;
-  for (int i = 0; i <= levels && ok; i+= skip) {
-    if (levels > 0) std::cout <<"\nTime level "<< i << std::endl;
+  double time=0;
+  for (int i = 0; i <= levels && ok; i += skip) {
+    if (levels > 0) std::cout <<"\nTime level "<< i << " (t=" << time << ")" << std::endl;
     VTFList vlist, slist;
-    pit = processlist.begin();
     for (pit = processlist.begin(); pit != processlist.end(); ++pit) {
       for (it = pit->second.begin(); it != pit->second.end() && ok; ++it) {
         std::cout <<"Reading \""<< it->name <<"\""<< std::endl;
@@ -259,9 +259,11 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
     writeFieldBlocks(vlist,slist,myVtf,i+1);
 
     if (ok)
-      myVtf.writeState(i+1,"Step %g",(float)(i+skip)/skip,1);
+      myVtf.writeState(i+1,"Time %g",time,0);
     else
       return 3;
+    pit = processlist.begin();
+    time += pit->second.begin()->timestep*skip;
   }
   hdf.closeFile(levels,true);
 
diff --git a/src/SIM/SIMparameters.C b/src/SIM/SIMparameters.C
index def60ace..7c5643b3 100644
--- a/src/SIM/SIMparameters.C
+++ b/src/SIM/SIMparameters.C
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ bool SIMparameters::increment ()
   if (time.t+time.dt*epsT >= stopTime)
     return false;
 
+  if (tInc.size() <= (size_t)step)
+    tInc.push_back(time.dt);
+
   time.t += time.dt;
 
   if (time.t > stopTime)
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@ bool SIMparameters::increment ()
     // Adjust the size of the last time step
     time.dt += stopTime - time.t;
     time.t = stopTime;
+    tInc.back() = time.dt;
   }
 
   return true;
diff --git a/src/Utility/DataExporter.C b/src/Utility/DataExporter.C
index 9a9e8f6b..e7e22347 100644
--- a/src/Utility/DataExporter.C
+++ b/src/Utility/DataExporter.C
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #ifdef PARALLEL_PETSC
 #include <mpi.h>
 #endif
+#include "SIMparameters.h"
 
 
 DataWriter::DataWriter (const std::string& name) : m_name(name)
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ bool DataExporter::setFieldValue(const std::string& name,
 }
 
 
-bool DataExporter::dumpTimeLevel()
+bool DataExporter::dumpTimeLevel(SIMparameters* tp)
 {
   if (m_level == -1)
     m_level = this->getWritersTimeLevel()+1;
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ bool DataExporter::dumpTimeLevel()
           break;
       }
     }
+    if (tp)
+      (*it2)->writeTimeInfo(m_level,*tp);
     (*it2)->closeFile(m_level);
   }
   m_level++;
diff --git a/src/Utility/DataExporter.h b/src/Utility/DataExporter.h
index b607fa5e..d6541222 100644
--- a/src/Utility/DataExporter.h
+++ b/src/Utility/DataExporter.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 
 class DataWriter;
+class SIMparameters;
 
 class DataExporter
 {
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ class DataExporter
 
   bool setFieldValue(const std::string& name, void* data, void* data2=NULL);
 
-  bool dumpTimeLevel();
+  bool dumpTimeLevel(SIMparameters* tp=NULL);
 
   //! \brief Loads last time level with first registered writer by default.
   //! param[in] level Time level to load, defaults to last time level
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@ public:
   virtual void writeSIM(int level, const DataEntry& entry) = 0;
   virtual bool readSIM(int level, const DataEntry& entry) = 0;
 
+  virtual bool writeTimeInfo(int level, SIMparameters& tp) = 0;
+
 protected:
   std::string m_name; //!< File name
 
diff --git a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C
index 37fb02fb..e2514d28 100644
--- a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C
+++ b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.C
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "HDF5Writer.h"
 #include "SIMbase.h"
+#include "SIMparameters.h"
 #include "IntegrandBase.h"
 #include <sstream>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -372,3 +373,10 @@ bool HDF5Writer::checkGroupExistence(int parent, const char* path)
 #endif
   return result;
 }
+
+// TODO: implement for variable timesteps 
+// (named time series to allow different timelevels for different fields)
+bool HDF5Writer::writeTimeInfo(int level, SIMparameters& tp)
+{
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h
index 63be7e02..93433635 100644
--- a/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h
+++ b/src/Utility/HDF5Writer.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ public:
   virtual bool readVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
   virtual void writeSIM(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
   virtual bool readSIM(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
+  virtual bool writeTimeInfo(int level, SIMparameters& tp);
 
   bool readField(int level, const std::string& name,
                  Vector& vec, SIMbase* sim, int components);
diff --git a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C
index 45cfb706..e2b65d22 100644
--- a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C
+++ b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.C
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "XMLWriter.h"
 #include "SIMbase.h"
+#include "SIMparameters.h"
 #include "IntegrandBase.h"
 #include "StringUtils.h"
 #include "tinyxml.h"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ XMLWriter::XMLWriter(const std::string& name) : DataWriter(name+".xml")
 {
   m_doc = NULL;
   m_node = NULL;
+  m_dt = 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -48,11 +50,19 @@ void XMLWriter::closeFile(int level, bool close)
 
   TiXmlElement element2("levels");
   TiXmlNode *pNewNode = m_node->InsertEndChild(element2);
-  char temp[8];
+  char temp[32];
   sprintf(temp,"%i",level);
   TiXmlText value(temp);
   pNewNode->InsertEndChild(value);
 
+  // TODO: support variable time steps
+  TiXmlElement element3("timestep");
+  element3.Attribute("constant",&m_dt);
+  pNewNode = m_node->InsertEndChild(element3);
+  sprintf(temp,"%f",m_dt);
+  TiXmlText value2(temp);
+  pNewNode->InsertEndChild(value2);
+
   m_doc->SaveFile(m_name);
   delete m_doc;
   m_doc = NULL;
@@ -66,6 +76,7 @@ void XMLWriter::readInfo()
   TiXmlHandle handle(&doc);
   TiXmlElement* elem = handle.FirstChild("info").
                                          FirstChild("entry").ToElement();
+  TiXmlElement* timestep = handle.FirstChild("info").FirstChild("timestep").ToElement();
   while (elem) {
     if (strcasecmp(elem->Attribute("type"),"field") == 0) {
       Entry entry;
@@ -74,6 +85,10 @@ void XMLWriter::readInfo()
       entry.patches = atoi(elem->Attribute("patches"));
       entry.components = atoi(elem->Attribute("components"));
       entry.type = elem->Attribute("type");
+      if (timestep)
+        entry.timestep = atof(timestep->FirstChild()->Value());
+      else
+        entry.timestep = 0;
       if (elem->Attribute("basis"))
 	entry.basis = elem->Attribute("basis");
       m_entry.push_back(entry);
@@ -159,3 +174,9 @@ void XMLWriter::addField (const std::string& name,
   element.SetAttribute("components",components);
   m_node->InsertEndChild(element);
 }
+
+bool XMLWriter::writeTimeInfo(int level, SIMparameters& tp)
+{
+  m_dt = tp.time.dt;
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h
index debc98a9..edf4080a 100644
--- a/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h
+++ b/src/Utility/XMLWriter.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 class TiXmlDocument;
 class TiXmlNode;
+class SIMparameters;
 
 
 class XMLWriter : public DataWriter
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ public:
     std::string basis;
     int patches;
     int components;
+    double timestep;
     std::string type;
   };
 
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ public:
   virtual bool readVector(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
   virtual void writeSIM(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
   virtual bool readSIM(int level, const DataEntry& entry);
+  virtual bool writeTimeInfo(int level, SIMparameters& tp);
 
 protected:
   void addField(const std::string& name, const std::string& description,
@@ -45,4 +48,5 @@ protected:
 
   TiXmlDocument* m_doc;
   TiXmlNode* m_node;
+  double m_dt;
 };