diff --git a/include/openPMD/backend/Attributable.hpp b/include/openPMD/backend/Attributable.hpp
index 3a4249a718..cb92ac4402 100644
--- a/include/openPMD/backend/Attributable.hpp
+++ b/include/openPMD/backend/Attributable.hpp
@@ -314,6 +314,12 @@ class Attributable
      */
     MyPath myPath() const;
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Sets the object dirty to make internal procedures think it has
+     *        been modified.
+     */
+    void touch();
+
     // clang-format off
 OPENPMD_protected
     // clang-format on
diff --git a/src/backend/Attributable.cpp b/src/backend/Attributable.cpp
index 83b00119d4..fb46d6106b 100644
--- a/src/backend/Attributable.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/Attributable.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ auto Attributable::myPath() const -> MyPath
     return res;
 }
 
+void Attributable::touch()
+{
+    setDirtyRecursive(true);
+}
+
 void Attributable::seriesFlush(
     internal::FlushParams const &flushParams, bool flush_entire_series)
 {
diff --git a/src/backend/Writable.cpp b/src/backend/Writable.cpp
index 9308bd50ff..5a87297ae3 100644
--- a/src/backend/Writable.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/Writable.cpp
@@ -58,9 +58,7 @@ void Writable::seriesFlush(
     auto [iteration_internal, series_internal] = impl.containingIteration();
     if (iteration_internal)
     {
-        (*iteration_internal)
-            ->asInternalCopyOf<Iteration>()
-            .setDirtyRecursive(true);
+        (*iteration_internal)->asInternalCopyOf<Iteration>().touch();
     }
     auto series = series_internal->asInternalCopyOf<Series>();
     auto [begin, end] = [&, &iteration_internal_lambda = iteration_internal]()