diff --git a/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h b/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h
index 4a27fd8..a57e0b2 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h
+++ b/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h
@@ -1071,6 +1071,19 @@ hdf5_close_file (
 	HDF5_WRAPPER_RETURN (H5_SUCCESS);
 }
 
+static inline h5_err_t
+hdf5_close (
+	void
+	) {
+	HDF5_WRAPPER_ENTER (h5_err_t, "%s", "void");
+	if (H5close () < 0)
+		HDF5_WRAPPER_LEAVE (
+			h5_error (
+				H5_ERR_HDF5,
+				"Cannot close HDF5 library."));
+	HDF5_WRAPPER_RETURN (H5_SUCCESS);
+}
+
 static inline h5_err_t
 hdf5_flush (
 	hid_t obj_id,
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5_openclose.c b/src/h5core/h5_openclose.c
index 9f056dc..adbd823 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5_openclose.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5_openclose.c
@@ -367,6 +367,14 @@ h5_close_file (
 	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (H5_SUCCESS);
 }
 
+h5_err_t
+h5_close_hdf5 (
+        void
+        ) {
+	H5_CORE_API_ENTER (h5_err_t, "%s", "");
+	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (hdf5_close ());
+}
+
 h5_err_t
 h5_flush_step (
 	h5_file_t* const f