diff --git a/writer/FileWriter.cpp b/writer/FileWriter.cpp
index f46c4a32..c57119a7 100644
--- a/writer/FileWriter.cpp
+++ b/writer/FileWriter.cpp
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void FileWriter::WriteHDF5(const DataMessage& msg) {
         files.resize(file_number + 1);
 
     if (!files[file_number]) {
-        files[file_number] = std::make_unique<HDF5DataFile>(start_message, file_number);
+        files[file_number] = std::make_unique<HDF5DataFile>(start_message, file_number, true);
         if (format == FileWriterFormat::NXmxIntegrated && master_file)
             files[file_number]->CreateFile(msg, master_file->GetFile());
     }
diff --git a/writer/HDF5DataFile.cpp b/writer/HDF5DataFile.cpp
index 49626a9f..811b4675 100644
--- a/writer/HDF5DataFile.cpp
+++ b/writer/HDF5DataFile.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 #include "HDF5NXmx.h"
 #include "../common/time_utc.h"
 
-HDF5DataFile::HDF5DataFile(const StartMessage &msg, uint64_t in_file_number) {
+HDF5DataFile::HDF5DataFile(const StartMessage &msg, uint64_t in_file_number, bool write_images) :
+write_images(write_images){
     file_number = in_file_number;
 
     if (msg.overwrite.has_value())
@@ -110,7 +111,6 @@ HDF5DataFile::~HDF5DataFile() {
     if (data_file) {
         try {
             data_set.reset();
-            data_set_image_number.reset();
             data_file.reset();
             if (manage_file) {
                 std::error_code ec;
@@ -124,42 +124,44 @@ HDF5DataFile::~HDF5DataFile() {
     }
 }
 
-void HDF5DataFile::CreateFile(const DataMessage& msg, std::shared_ptr<HDF5File> in_data_file, bool integrated) {
-    HDF5Dcpl dcpl;
-
-    HDF5DataType data_type(msg.image.GetMode());
-
-    xpixel = msg.image.GetWidth();
-    ypixel = msg.image.GetHeight();
-
-    dcpl.SetCompression(msg.image.GetCompressionAlgorithm(), JFJochBitShuffleCompressor::DefaultBlockSize);
-    dcpl.SetChunking( {1, ypixel, xpixel});
-
-    H5Pset_fill_time(dcpl.GetID(), H5D_FILL_TIME_NEVER);
-    H5Pset_alloc_time(dcpl.GetID(), H5D_ALLOC_TIME_INCR);
-
-    switch (msg.image.GetMode()) {
-        case CompressedImageMode::Int8:
-            dcpl.SetFillValue8(INT8_MIN);
-            break;
-        case CompressedImageMode::Int16:
-            dcpl.SetFillValue16(INT16_MIN);
-            break;
-        case CompressedImageMode::Int32:
-            dcpl.SetFillValue32(INT32_MIN);
-            break;
-        default:
-            break;
-    }
-
+void HDF5DataFile::CreateFile(const DataMessage& msg, std::shared_ptr<HDF5File> in_data_file) {
     data_file = in_data_file;
 
     HDF5Group(*data_file, "/entry").NXClass("NXentry");
-    HDF5Group(*data_file, "/entry/data").NXClass("NXdata");
+    if (write_images) {
+        HDF5Dcpl dcpl;
+
+        HDF5DataType data_type(msg.image.GetMode());
+
+        xpixel = msg.image.GetWidth();
+        ypixel = msg.image.GetHeight();
+
+        dcpl.SetCompression(msg.image.GetCompressionAlgorithm(), JFJochBitShuffleCompressor::DefaultBlockSize);
+        dcpl.SetChunking( {1, ypixel, xpixel});
+
+        H5Pset_fill_time(dcpl.GetID(), H5D_FILL_TIME_NEVER);
+        H5Pset_alloc_time(dcpl.GetID(), H5D_ALLOC_TIME_INCR);
+
+        switch (msg.image.GetMode()) {
+            case CompressedImageMode::Int8:
+                dcpl.SetFillValue8(INT8_MIN);
+                break;
+            case CompressedImageMode::Int16:
+                dcpl.SetFillValue16(INT16_MIN);
+                break;
+            case CompressedImageMode::Int32:
+                dcpl.SetFillValue32(INT32_MIN);
+                break;
+            default:
+                break;
+        }
+
+        HDF5Group(*data_file, "/entry/data").NXClass("NXdata");
+        HDF5DataSpace data_space({1, ypixel, xpixel}, {H5S_UNLIMITED, ypixel, xpixel});
+        data_set = std::make_unique<HDF5DataSet>(*data_file, "/entry/data/data", data_type, data_space, dcpl);
+        data_set->SetExtent({images_per_file, ypixel, xpixel});
+    }
 
-    HDF5DataSpace data_space({1, ypixel, xpixel}, {H5S_UNLIMITED, ypixel, xpixel});
-    data_set = std::make_unique<HDF5DataSet>(*data_file, "/entry/data/data", data_type, data_space, dcpl);
-    data_set->SetExtent({images_per_file, ypixel, xpixel});
     for (auto &p: plugins)
         p->OpenFile(*data_file, msg, images_per_file);
 }
@@ -186,7 +188,8 @@ void HDF5DataFile::Write(const DataMessage &msg, uint64_t image_number) {
     }
 
     nimages++;
-    data_set->WriteDirectChunk(msg.image.GetCompressed(), msg.image.GetCompressedSize(), {image_number, 0, 0});
+    if (data_set)
+        data_set->WriteDirectChunk(msg.image.GetCompressed(), msg.image.GetCompressedSize(), {image_number, 0, 0});
 
     for (auto &p: plugins)
         p->Write(msg, image_number);
diff --git a/writer/HDF5DataFile.h b/writer/HDF5DataFile.h
index 1346a333..334208c2 100644
--- a/writer/HDF5DataFile.h
+++ b/writer/HDF5DataFile.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ class HDF5DataFile {
 
     std::shared_ptr<HDF5File> data_file = nullptr;
     std::unique_ptr<HDF5DataSet> data_set = nullptr;
-    std::unique_ptr<HDF5DataSet> data_set_image_number = nullptr;
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<HDF5DataFilePlugin>> plugins;
     size_t images_per_file;
     size_t xpixel;
@@ -49,14 +48,15 @@ class HDF5DataFile {
     int64_t file_number;
     bool new_file = true;
     bool manage_file = false;
+    const bool write_images;
 public:
-    HDF5DataFile(const StartMessage &msg, uint64_t file_number);
+    HDF5DataFile(const StartMessage &msg, uint64_t file_number, bool write_images);
     ~HDF5DataFile();
     std::optional<HDF5DataFileStatistics> Close();
     void Write(const DataMessage& msg, uint64_t image_number);
     size_t GetNumImages() const;
 
-    void CreateFile(const DataMessage& msg, std::shared_ptr<HDF5File> data_file, bool integrated = false);
+    void CreateFile(const DataMessage& msg, std::shared_ptr<HDF5File> data_file);
 };
 
 #endif //HDF5DATAFILE_H