diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 913117d..d49dcc2 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ src/h5/errorhandling_private.h -text
 src/h5/general.c -text
 src/h5/h5.c -text
 src/h5/h5.h -text
+src/h5/h5_core.h -text
 src/h5/h5_private.h -text
 src/h5/h5_types.h -text
 src/h5/readwrite.c -text
diff --git a/src/h5/h5_core.h b/src/h5/h5_core.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec24bed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/h5/h5_core.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#ifndef __H5_H
+#define __H5_H
+
+#include "h5_types.h"
+
+h5_file*
+h5_open_file (
+	const char *filename,
+	unsigned flags,
+	MPI_Comm comm
+	);
+
+h5part_int64_t
+h5_check_filehandle (
+	const h5_file *f
+	);
+
+h5part_int64_t
+h5_close_file (
+	h5_file *f
+	);
+
+h5part_int64_t
+h5_define_stepname_fmt (
+	h5_file *f,
+	const char *name,
+	const h5part_int64_t width
+	);
+
+h5_err_t
+_h5_close_step (
+	h5_file *f
+	);
+
+h5_int64_t
+h5_has_step (
+	h5_file * f,
+	h5_int64_t step
+	);
+
+#include "attribs.h"
+#include "errorhandling.h"
+#include "readwrite.h"
+#include "t_openclose.h"
+#include "t_readwrite.h"
+#include "u_readwrite.h"
+
+#endif