diff --git a/libhdf5/hdf5var.c b/libhdf5/hdf5var.c
index adbbdd3..01cd90c 100644
--- a/libhdf5/hdf5var.c
+++ b/libhdf5/hdf5var.c
@@ -106,6 +105,38 @@ nc4_reopen_dataset(NC_GRP_INFO_T *grp, NC_VAR_INFO_T *var)
     return NC_NOERR;
 }
 
+int
+nc4_open_dataset(NC_GRP_INFO_T *grp, NC_VAR_INFO_T *var)
+{
+    NC_HDF5_VAR_INFO_T *hdf5_var;
+    hid_t access_pid;
+    hid_t grpid;
+
+    assert(var && var->format_var_info && grp && grp->format_grp_info);
+
+    /* Get the HDF5-specific var info. */
+    hdf5_var = (NC_HDF5_VAR_INFO_T *)var->format_var_info;
+
+    if (hdf5_var->hdf_datasetid)
+    {
+        /* Get the HDF5 group id. */
+        grpid = ((NC_HDF5_GRP_INFO_T *)(grp->format_grp_info))->hdf_grpid;
+
+        if ((access_pid = H5Pcreate(H5P_DATASET_ACCESS)) < 0)
+            return NC_EHDFERR;
+        if (H5Pset_chunk_cache(access_pid, var->chunk_cache_nelems,
+                               var->chunk_cache_size,
+                               var->chunk_cache_preemption) < 0)
+            return NC_EHDFERR;
+        if ((hdf5_var->hdf_datasetid = H5Dopen2(grpid, var->hdr.name, access_pid)) < 0)
+            return NC_EHDFERR;
+        if (H5Pclose(access_pid) < 0)
+            return NC_EHDFERR;
+    }
+
+    return NC_NOERR;
+}
+
 /**
  * @internal Check a set of chunksizes to see if they specify a chunk
  * that is too big.
@@ -1770,6 +1801,11 @@ NC4_put_vars(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp, const size_t *countp,
                  mem_spaceid, file_spaceid, xfer_plistid, bufr) < 0)
         BAIL(NC_EHDFERR);
 
+    if (H5Dclose(hdf5_var->hdf_datasetid) < 0)
+      return NC_EHDFERR;
+    nc4_open_dataset(grp, var);
     /* Remember that we have written to this var so that Fill Value
      * can't be set for it. */
     if (!var->written_to)