diff --git a/core-buffer/include/FastH5Writer.hpp b/core-buffer/include/FastH5Writer.hpp
index a34136c..7f8e31b 100644
--- a/core-buffer/include/FastH5Writer.hpp
+++ b/core-buffer/include/FastH5Writer.hpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class FastH5Writer {
     std::unordered_map<std::string, H5::PredType> scalar_metadata_;
 
     void create_file(const std::string& filename);
-    void close_file();
+
 
     void flush_metadata();
 
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public:
             const void* value,
             const size_t value_n_bytes);
 
+    void close_file();
 };
 
 
diff --git a/core-buffer/src/FastH5Writer.cpp b/core-buffer/src/FastH5Writer.cpp
index 8fdf769..a8090bf 100644
--- a/core-buffer/src/FastH5Writer.cpp
+++ b/core-buffer/src/FastH5Writer.cpp
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ void FastH5Writer::create_file(const string& filename)
 
 void FastH5Writer::close_file()
 {
+    flush_metadata();
+
     current_output_filename_ = "";
     current_output_file_.close();
     current_image_dataset_.close();
@@ -100,7 +102,6 @@ void FastH5Writer::set_pulse_id(const uint64_t pulse_id)
     if (new_output_filename != current_output_filename_){
 
         if (current_output_file_.getId() != -1) {
-            flush_metadata();
             close_file();
         }