diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index dd71303..aa18bef 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ doc/Doxyfile -text
 doc/H5X_File_Format.txt -text
 doc/Makefile.am -text
 doc/doxyfooter -text
+examples/stridedf.F90 -text
 /install-sh -text
 /license.txt -text
 /missing -text
diff --git a/examples/stridedf.F90 b/examples/stridedf.F90
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7eb369e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/stridedf.F90
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+program H5PartTest
+  implicit none
+
+  include 'mpif.h'
+  include 'H5PartF.h'
+
+  integer :: comm, rank, ierr
+  integer*8 :: file_id, status, npoints, i
+  real*8, allocatable :: particles(:)
+  integer*8, allocatable :: id(:)
+
+  comm = MPI_COMM_WORLD
+  call mpi_init(ierr)
+  call mpi_comm_rank(comm, rank, ierr)
+
+  ! open the a file for parallel writing
+  file_id = h5pt_openw_par('test.h5', comm)
+
+  ! in the Fortran API, steps start at 1
+  status = h5pt_setstep(file_id, 1_8)
+
+  ! write an attribute to the file
+  status = h5pt_writefileattrib_string(file_id, 'desc', 'This is a test.')
+
+  ! create fake data
+  npoints = 99
+  allocate(particles(6*npoints), id(npoints))
+  do i=0,npoints-1
+    particles(6*i+1) = 0.0 + real(i+npoints*rank)
+    particles(6*i+2) = 0.1 + real(i+npoints*rank)
+    particles(6*i+3) = 0.2 + real(i+npoints*rank)
+    particles(6*i+4) = 0.3 + real(i+npoints*rank)
+    particles(6*i+5) = 0.4 + real(i+npoints*rank)
+    particles(6*i+6) = 0.5 + real(i+npoints*rank)
+    id(i+1) = i+npoints*rank
+  enddo
+
+  ! set the striding to 6
+  status = h5pt_setnpoints_strided(file_id, npoints, 6_8)
+
+  ! write the particles
+  status = h5pt_writedata_r8(file_id, "x",  particles(1))
+  status = h5pt_writedata_r8(file_id, "y",  particles(2))
+  status = h5pt_writedata_r8(file_id, "z",  particles(3))
+  status = h5pt_writedata_r8(file_id, "px", particles(4))
+  status = h5pt_writedata_r8(file_id, "py", particles(5))
+  status = h5pt_writedata_r8(file_id, "pz", particles(6))
+
+  ! disable the striding to write the ids
+  status = h5pt_setnpoints(file_id, npoints)
+  status = h5pt_writedata_i8(file_id, "id", id)
+
+  ! close the file
+  status = h5pt_close(file_id)
+
+  deallocate(particles, id)
+
+  call mpi_finalize(ierr)
+
+end program H5PartTest
+
diff --git a/src/H5Part.c b/src/H5Part.c
index 9ab6992..a107bff 100644
--- a/src/H5Part.c
+++ b/src/H5Part.c
@@ -782,10 +782,8 @@ _set_num_particles (
 		total += f->pnparticles[i];
 	}
 
-	if ( stride > 1 ) count = stride * total;
-	else count = total;
-
 	/* declare overall datasize */
+	count = total;
 	f->shape = H5Screate_simple (1, &count, NULL);
 	if ( f->shape < 0 ) return HANDLE_H5S_CREATE_SIMPLE_ERR ( count );