diff --git a/IO/netcdf.cpp b/IO/netcdf.cpp
index a49042a6..c6952058 100644
--- a/IO/netcdf.cpp
+++ b/IO/netcdf.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int open( const std::string& filename, FileMode mode, MPI_Comm comm )
             int err = nc_open_par( filename.c_str(), NC_WRITE|NC_MPIPOSIX, comm, MPI_INFO_NULL, &fid );
             CHECK_NC_ERR( err );
         } else if ( mode == CREATE ) {
-            int err = nc_create_par( filename.c_str(), NC_MPIPOSIX, comm, MPI_INFO_NULL, &fid );
+            int err = nc_create_par( filename.c_str(), NC_NETCDF4|NC_MPIIO, comm, MPI_INFO_NULL, &fid );
             CHECK_NC_ERR( err );
         } else {
             ERROR("Unknown file mode");
@@ -436,31 +436,8 @@ std::vector<int> defDim( int fid, const std::vector<std::string>& names, const s
     return dimid;
 }
 template<class TYPE>
-int nc_put_vars_TYPE( int, int, const size_t*, const size_t*, const ptrdiff_t*, const TYPE* );
-template<>
-int nc_put_vars_TYPE<short>( int fid, int varid, const size_t* start, const size_t* count, const ptrdiff_t* stride, const short* data )
-{
-    return nc_put_vars_short( fid, varid, start, count, stride, data );
-}
-template<>
-int nc_put_vars_TYPE<int>( int fid, int varid, const size_t* start, const size_t* count, const ptrdiff_t* stride, const int* data )
-{
-    return nc_put_vars_int( fid, varid, start, count, stride, data );
-}
-template<>
-int nc_put_vars_TYPE<float>( int fid, int varid, const size_t* start, const size_t* count, const ptrdiff_t* stride, const float* data )
-{
-    return nc_put_vars_float( fid, varid, start, count, stride, data );
-}
-template<>
-int nc_put_vars_TYPE<double>( int fid, int varid, const size_t* start, const size_t* count, const ptrdiff_t* stride, const double* data )
-{
-    return nc_put_vars_double( fid, varid, start, count, stride, data );
-}
-template<class TYPE>
 void write( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids,
-    const Array<TYPE>& data, const std::vector<size_t>& start,
-    const std::vector<size_t>& count, const std::vector<size_t>& stride )
+    const Array<TYPE>& data, const RankInfoStruct& info )
 {
     // Define the variable
     int varid = 0;
@@ -470,24 +447,18 @@ void write( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids,
     err = nc_enddef( fid );
     CHECK_NC_ERR( err );
     // set the access method to use MPI/PnetCDF collective I/O 
-    err = nc_var_par_access( fid, varid, NC_COLLECTIVE );
+    err = nc_var_par_access( fid, varid, NC_INDEPENDENT );
     CHECK_NC_ERR( err );
     // parallel write: each process writes its subarray to the file
     auto x = data.reverseDim();
-    nc_put_vars_TYPE<TYPE>( fid, varid, start.data(), count.data(), (const ptrdiff_t*) stride.data(), x.data() );
+    std::vector<size_t> count = data.size();
+    std::vector<size_t> start = { info.ix*data.size(0), info.jy*data.size(1), info.kz*data.size(2) };
+    nc_put_vara( fid, varid, start.data(), count.data(), x.data() );
 }
-template void write<short>( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids,
-    const Array<short>& data, const std::vector<size_t>& start,
-    const std::vector<size_t>& count, const std::vector<size_t>& stride );
-template void write<int>( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids,
-    const Array<int>& data, const std::vector<size_t>& start,
-    const std::vector<size_t>& count, const std::vector<size_t>& stride );
-template void write<float>( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids,
-    const Array<float>& data, const std::vector<size_t>& start,
-    const std::vector<size_t>& count, const std::vector<size_t>& stride );
-template void write<double>( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids,
-    const Array<double>& data, const std::vector<size_t>& start,
-    const std::vector<size_t>& count, const std::vector<size_t>& stride );
+template void write<short>(  int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids, const Array<short>& data,  const RankInfoStruct& info );
+template void write<int>(    int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids, const Array<int>& data,    const RankInfoStruct& info );
+template void write<float>(  int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids, const Array<float>& data,  const RankInfoStruct& info );
+template void write<double>( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids, const Array<double>& data, const RankInfoStruct& info );
 
 
 
diff --git a/IO/netcdf.h b/IO/netcdf.h
index 6bf38f36..657747bf 100644
--- a/IO/netcdf.h
+++ b/IO/netcdf.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "common/Array.h"
 #include "common/MPI_Helpers.h"
+#include "common/Communication.h"
 
 
 
@@ -133,8 +134,7 @@ std::vector<int> defDim( int fid, const std::vector<std::string>& names, const s
  * @param fid           Handle to the open file
 */
 template<class TYPE>
-void write( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids, const Array<TYPE>& data,
-    const std::vector<size_t>& start, const std::vector<size_t>& count, const std::vector<size_t>& stride );
+void write( int fid, const std::string& var, const std::vector<int>& dimids, const Array<TYPE>& data, const RankInfoStruct& rank_info );
 
 
 }; // netcdf namespace
diff --git a/tests/TestNetcdf.cpp b/tests/TestNetcdf.cpp
index 65d2255c..fe438e78 100644
--- a/tests/TestNetcdf.cpp
+++ b/tests/TestNetcdf.cpp
@@ -21,15 +21,15 @@ void test_NETCDF( UnitTest& ut )
     RankInfoStruct info( rank, nprocx, nprocy, nprocz );
     Array<float> data( 4, 5, 6 );
     for (size_t i=0; i<data.length(); i++)
-        data(i) = i;
+        data(i) = 120*rank + i;
     size_t x = info.ix*data.size(0);
     size_t y = info.jy*data.size(1);
     size_t z = info.kz*data.size(2);
     const char* filename = "test.nc";
-    std::vector<int> dim = { 4*nprocx, 5*nprocy, 6*nprocz };
+    std::vector<int> dim = { data.size(0)*nprocx, data.size(1)*nprocy, data.size(2)*nprocz };
     int fid = netcdf::open( filename, netcdf::CREATE, MPI_COMM_WORLD );
     auto dims =  netcdf::defDim( fid, {"X", "Y", "Z"}, dim );
-    netcdf::write( fid, "tmp", dims, data, {x,y,z}, data.size(), {1,1,1} );
+    netcdf::write( fid, "tmp", dims, data, info );
     netcdf::close( fid );
     MPI_Barrier( MPI_COMM_WORLD );
     // Read the contents of the file we created
diff --git a/tests/lbpm_uCT_maskfilter.cpp b/tests/lbpm_uCT_maskfilter.cpp
index 90306bf9..f5e857b6 100644
--- a/tests/lbpm_uCT_maskfilter.cpp
+++ b/tests/lbpm_uCT_maskfilter.cpp
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	    printf("   dims =  %i x %i x %i \n",int(dim[0]),int(dim[1]),int(dim[2]));
     }
     {
-              RankInfoStruct info( rank, nprocx, nprocy, nprocz );
+        RankInfoStruct info( rank, nprocx, nprocy, nprocz );
 	    size_t x = info.ix*nx;
 	    size_t y = info.jy*ny;
 	    size_t z = info.kz*nz;
@@ -301,13 +301,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     const char* netcdf_filename = "Distance.nc";
     {
         RankInfoStruct info( rank, nprocx, nprocy, nprocz );
-	    size_t x = info.ix*nx;
-	    size_t y = info.jy*ny;
-	    size_t z = info.kz*nz;
         std::vector<int> dim = { Nx[0]*nprocx, Ny[0]*nprocy, Nz[0]*nprocz };
         int fid = netcdf::open( netcdf_filename, netcdf::CREATE, MPI_COMM_WORLD );
         auto dims =  netcdf::defDim( fid, {"X", "Y", "Z"}, dim );
-        netcdf::write( fid, "Distance", dims, Dist[0], {x,y,z}, Dist[0].size(), {1,1,1} );
+        netcdf::write( fid, "Distance", dims, Dist[0], info );
         netcdf::close( fid );
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/lbpm_uCT_pp.cpp b/tests/lbpm_uCT_pp.cpp
index ad0ecd61..29a04339 100644
--- a/tests/lbpm_uCT_pp.cpp
+++ b/tests/lbpm_uCT_pp.cpp
@@ -271,13 +271,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     const char* netcdf_filename = "Distance.nc";
     {
         RankInfoStruct info( rank, nprocx, nprocy, nprocz );
-	    size_t x = info.ix*nx;
-	    size_t y = info.jy*ny;
-	    size_t z = info.kz*nz;
         std::vector<int> dim = { Nx[0]*nprocx, Ny[0]*nprocy, Nz[0]*nprocz };
         int fid = netcdf::open( netcdf_filename, netcdf::CREATE, MPI_COMM_WORLD );
         auto dims =  netcdf::defDim( fid, {"X", "Y", "Z"}, dim );
-        netcdf::write( fid, "Distance", dims, Dist[0], {x,y,z}, Dist[0].size(), {1,1,1} );
+        Array<float> data(Nx[0],Ny[0],Nz[0]);
+        fillFloat[0]->copy( Dist[0], data );
+        netcdf::write( fid, "Distance", dims, data, info );
         netcdf::close( fid );
     }