diff --git a/include/openPMD/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.hpp b/include/openPMD/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.hpp
index e091c02e07..ae39d96944 100644
--- a/include/openPMD/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.hpp
+++ b/include/openPMD/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.hpp
@@ -259,6 +259,16 @@ class ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl
 
     UseSpan m_useSpanBasedPutByDefault = UseSpan::Auto;
 
+    enum class ModifiableAttributes : char
+    {
+        Yes,
+        No,
+        Unspecified
+    };
+
+    ModifiableAttributes m_modifiableAttributes =
+        ModifiableAttributes::Unspecified;
+
     inline SupportedSchema schema() const
     {
         switch (m_schema)
diff --git a/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp b/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp
index 78b08b99ac..34dcb9d5e7 100644
--- a/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp
@@ -156,6 +156,14 @@ void ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::init(json::TracingJSON cfg)
                                                                   : UseSpan::No;
         }
 
+        if (m_config.json().contains("modifiable_attributes"))
+        {
+            m_modifiableAttributes =
+                m_config["modifiable_attributes"].json().get<bool>()
+                ? ModifiableAttributes::Yes
+                : ModifiableAttributes::No;
+        }
+
         auto engineConfig = config(ADIOS2Defaults::str_engine);
         if (!engineConfig.json().is_null())
         {
@@ -1638,8 +1646,10 @@ namespace detail
         adios2::IO IO = filedata.m_IO;
         impl->m_dirty.emplace(std::move(file));
 
-        if (parameters.changesOverSteps ==
-            Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No)
+        if (impl->m_modifiableAttributes ==
+                ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::ModifiableAttributes::No &&
+            parameters.changesOverSteps ==
+                Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No)
         {
             std::string t = IO.AttributeType(fullName);
             if (!t.empty()) // an attribute is present <=> it has a type
@@ -1676,6 +1686,10 @@ namespace detail
         }
 
         auto &value = std::get<T>(parameters.resource);
+        bool modifiable = impl->m_modifiableAttributes ==
+                ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::ModifiableAttributes::Yes ||
+            parameters.changesOverSteps !=
+                Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No;
 
         if constexpr (IsUnsupportedComplex_v<T>)
         {
@@ -1691,8 +1705,7 @@ namespace detail
                 value.size(),
                 /* variableName = */ "",
                 /* separator = */ "/",
-                /* allowModification = */ parameters.changesOverSteps !=
-                    Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No);
+                /* allowModification = */ modifiable);
             if (!attr)
             {
                 throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -1708,8 +1721,7 @@ namespace detail
                 value.size(),
                 /* variableName = */ "",
                 /* separator = */ "/",
-                /* allowModification = */ parameters.changesOverSteps !=
-                    Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No);
+                /* allowModification = */ modifiable);
             if (!attr)
             {
                 throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -1727,8 +1739,7 @@ namespace detail
                 representation,
                 /* variableName = */ "",
                 /* separator = */ "/",
-                /* allowModification = */ parameters.changesOverSteps !=
-                    Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No);
+                /* allowModification = */ modifiable);
             if (!attr)
             {
                 throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -1743,8 +1754,7 @@ namespace detail
                 value,
                 /* variableName = */ "",
                 /* separator = */ "/",
-                /* allowModification = */ parameters.changesOverSteps !=
-                    Parameter<Operation::WRITE_ATT>::ChangesOverSteps::No);
+                /* allowModification = */ modifiable);
             if (!attr)
             {
                 throw std::runtime_error(
@@ -2276,6 +2286,15 @@ namespace detail
             m_impl->m_schema = ADIOS2Schema::schema_2022_07_26;
         }
 
+        if (m_impl->m_modifiableAttributes ==
+            ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::ModifiableAttributes::Unspecified)
+        {
+            m_impl->m_modifiableAttributes =
+                m_impl->m_iterationEncoding == IterationEncoding::variableBased
+                ? ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::ModifiableAttributes::Yes
+                : ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::ModifiableAttributes::No;
+        }
+
         // set engine type
         {
             m_IO.SetEngine(m_engineType);
diff --git a/test/SerialIOTest.cpp b/test/SerialIOTest.cpp
index a1b08d1df6..d288986164 100644
--- a/test/SerialIOTest.cpp
+++ b/test/SerialIOTest.cpp
@@ -5237,10 +5237,9 @@ TEST_CASE("git_adios2_sample_test", "[serial][adios2]")
 
 void variableBasedSeries(std::string const &file)
 {
-    std::string selectADIOS2 = R"({"backend": "adios2"})";
     constexpr Extent::value_type extent = 1000;
-    {
-        Series writeSeries(file, Access::CREATE, selectADIOS2);
+    auto testWrite = [&file](std::string const &jsonConfig) {
+        Series writeSeries(file, Access::CREATE, jsonConfig);
         writeSeries.setIterationEncoding(IterationEncoding::variableBased);
         REQUIRE(
             writeSeries.iterationEncoding() ==
@@ -5260,6 +5259,8 @@ void variableBasedSeries(std::string const &file)
                     "iteration_is_larger_than_two", "it truly is");
             }
 
+            iteration.setAttribute("changing_value", i);
+
             // this tests changing extents and dimensionalities
             // across iterations
             auto E_y = iteration.meshes["E"]["y"];
@@ -5294,14 +5295,16 @@ void variableBasedSeries(std::string const &file)
 
             iteration.close();
         }
-    }
-
-    REQUIRE(auxiliary::directory_exists(file));
+        REQUIRE(auxiliary::directory_exists(file));
+    };
 
-    auto testRead = [&file, &extent, &selectADIOS2](
-                        std::string const &jsonConfig) {
+    auto testRead = [&file, &extent](
+                        std::string const &parseMode,
+                        bool supportsModifiableAttributes) {
         Series readSeries(
-            file, Access::READ_LINEAR, json::merge(selectADIOS2, jsonConfig));
+            file,
+            Access::READ_LINEAR,
+            json::merge(R"(backend = "adios2")", parseMode));
 
         size_t last_iteration_index = 0;
         for (auto iteration : readSeries.readIterations())
@@ -5318,6 +5321,13 @@ void variableBasedSeries(std::string const &file)
                     "iteration_is_larger_than_two"));
             }
 
+            // If modifiable attributes are unsupported, the attribute is
+            // written once in step 0 and then never changed
+            // A warning is printed upon trying to write
+            REQUIRE(
+                iteration.getAttribute("changing_value").get<unsigned>() ==
+                (supportsModifiableAttributes ? iteration.iterationIndex : 0));
+
             auto E_x = iteration.meshes["E"]["x"];
             REQUIRE(E_x.getDimensionality() == 1);
             REQUIRE(E_x.getExtent()[0] == extent);
@@ -5383,8 +5393,47 @@ void variableBasedSeries(std::string const &file)
         REQUIRE(last_iteration_index == 9);
     };
 
-    testRead("{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": true}");
-    testRead("{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": false}");
+    std::string jsonConfig = R"(
+{
+  "backend": "adios2",
+  "adios2": {
+    "modifiable_attributes": true
+  }
+})";
+    testWrite(jsonConfig);
+    testRead(
+        "{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": true}",
+        /*supportsModifiableAttributes = */ true);
+    testRead(
+        "{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": false}",
+        /*supportsModifiableAttributes = */ true);
+
+    jsonConfig = R"(
+{
+  "backend": "adios2"
+})";
+    testWrite(jsonConfig);
+    testRead(
+        "{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": true}",
+        /*supportsModifiableAttributes = */ true);
+    testRead(
+        "{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": false}",
+        /*supportsModifiableAttributes = */ true);
+
+    jsonConfig = R"(
+{
+  "backend": "adios2",
+  "adios2": {
+    "modifiable_attributes": false
+  }
+})";
+    testWrite(jsonConfig);
+    testRead(
+        "{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": true}",
+        /*supportsModifiableAttributes = */ false);
+    testRead(
+        "{\"defer_iteration_parsing\": false}",
+        /*supportsModifiableAttributes = */ false);
 }
 
 #if openPMD_HAVE_ADIOS2