diff --git a/src/H5Faccum.c b/src/H5Faccum.c
index 9c4c8cdbbda..5fabf5266a0 100644
--- a/src/H5Faccum.c
+++ b/src/H5Faccum.c
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ H5F__accum_write(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, H5FD_mem_t map_type, haddr_t addr, size_t s
             /* Make certain that data in accumulator is visible before new write */
             if ((H5F_SHARED_INTENT(f_sh) & H5F_ACC_SWMR_WRITE) > 0)
                 /* Flush if dirty and reset accumulator */
-                if (H5F__accum_reset(f_sh, true) < 0)
+                if (H5F__accum_reset(f_sh, true, false) < 0)
                     HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_IO, H5E_CANTRESET, FAIL, "can't reset accumulator");
 
             /* Write the data */
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ H5F__accum_write(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, H5FD_mem_t map_type, haddr_t addr, size_t s
                     }      /* end if */
                     else { /* Access covers whole accumulator */
                         /* Reset accumulator, but don't flush */
-                        if (H5F__accum_reset(f_sh, false) < 0)
+                        if (H5F__accum_reset(f_sh, false, false) < 0)
                             HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_IO, H5E_CANTRESET, FAIL, "can't reset accumulator");
                     }                    /* end else */
                 }                        /* end if */
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ H5F__accum_flush(H5F_shared_t *f_sh)
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
 herr_t
-H5F__accum_reset(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, bool flush)
+H5F__accum_reset(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, bool flush, bool force)
 {
     herr_t ret_value = SUCCEED; /* Return value */
 
@@ -1050,8 +1050,11 @@ H5F__accum_reset(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, bool flush)
 
     /* Flush any dirty data in accumulator, if requested */
     if (flush)
-        if (H5F__accum_flush(f_sh) < 0)
-            HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_FILE, H5E_CANTFLUSH, FAIL, "can't flush metadata accumulator");
+        if (H5F__accum_flush(f_sh) < 0) {
+            HDONE_ERROR(H5E_FILE, H5E_CANTFLUSH, FAIL, "can't flush metadata accumulator");
+            if (!force)
+                HGOTO_DONE(FAIL);
+        }
 
     /* Check if we need to reset the metadata accumulator information */
     if (f_sh->feature_flags & H5FD_FEAT_ACCUMULATE_METADATA) {
diff --git a/src/H5Fint.c b/src/H5Fint.c
index f653e0b71f0..3a9c65f1783 100644
--- a/src/H5Fint.c
+++ b/src/H5Fint.c
@@ -1559,7 +1559,7 @@ H5F__dest(H5F_t *f, bool flush, bool free_on_failure)
         } /* end if */
 
         /* Destroy other components of the file */
-        if (H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true) < 0)
+        if (H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true, true) < 0)
             /* Push error, but keep going*/
             HDONE_ERROR(H5E_FILE, H5E_CANTRELEASE, FAIL, "problems closing file");
         if (H5FO_dest(f) < 0)
@@ -3893,7 +3893,7 @@ H5F__start_swmr_write(H5F_t *f)
     }     /* end if */
 
     /* Flush and reset the accumulator */
-    if (H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true) < 0)
+    if (H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true, false) < 0)
         HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_IO, H5E_CANTRESET, FAIL, "can't reset accumulator");
 
     /* Turn on SWMR write in shared file open flags */
diff --git a/src/H5Fio.c b/src/H5Fio.c
index 2cd8a53ba53..3d50b50fc51 100644
--- a/src/H5Fio.c
+++ b/src/H5Fio.c
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ H5F_flush_tagged_metadata(H5F_t *f, haddr_t tag)
         HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_CACHE, H5E_CANTFLUSH, FAIL, "unable to flush tagged metadata");
 
     /* Flush and reset the accumulator */
-    if (H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true) < 0)
+    if (H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true, false) < 0)
         HGOTO_ERROR(H5E_IO, H5E_CANTRESET, FAIL, "can't reset accumulator");
 
     /* Flush file buffers to disk. */
diff --git a/src/H5Fpkg.h b/src/H5Fpkg.h
index f60841ec55f..7acd243aa82 100644
--- a/src/H5Fpkg.h
+++ b/src/H5Fpkg.h
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ H5_DLL herr_t H5F__accum_write(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, H5FD_mem_t type, haddr_t addr
                                const void *buf);
 H5_DLL herr_t H5F__accum_free(H5F_shared_t *f, H5FD_mem_t type, haddr_t addr, hsize_t size);
 H5_DLL herr_t H5F__accum_flush(H5F_shared_t *f_sh);
-H5_DLL herr_t H5F__accum_reset(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, bool flush);
+H5_DLL herr_t H5F__accum_reset(H5F_shared_t *f_sh, bool flush, bool force);
 
 /* Shared file list related routines */
 H5_DLL herr_t        H5F__sfile_add(H5F_shared_t *shared);
diff --git a/test/accum.c b/test/accum.c
index 62d1c9fd88a..308b64ad32c 100644
--- a/test/accum.c
+++ b/test/accum.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void accum_printf(const H5F_t *f);
 #define accum_read(a, s, b)  H5F_block_read(f, H5FD_MEM_DEFAULT, (haddr_t)(a), (size_t)(s), (b))
 #define accum_free(f, a, s)  H5F__accum_free(f->shared, H5FD_MEM_DEFAULT, (haddr_t)(a), (hsize_t)(s))
 #define accum_flush(f)       H5F__accum_flush(f->shared)
-#define accum_reset(f)       H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true)
+#define accum_reset(f)       H5F__accum_reset(f->shared, true, false)
 
 /* ================= */
 /* Main Test Routine */