diff --git a/src/IO/HDF5/HDF5IOHandler.cpp b/src/IO/HDF5/HDF5IOHandler.cpp
index aed0042b04..874768adbe 100644
--- a/src/IO/HDF5/HDF5IOHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/IO/HDF5/HDF5IOHandler.cpp
@@ -1739,6 +1739,12 @@ void HDF5IOHandlerImpl::writeAttribute(
             "during attribute write");
         if (equal == 0) // unequal
         {
+            status = H5Aclose(attribute_id);
+            VERIFY(
+                status == 0,
+                "[HDF5] Internal error: Failed to close previous HDF5 "
+                "attribute "
+                "during attribute write");
             status = H5Adelete(node_id, name.c_str());
             VERIFY(
                 status == 0,
diff --git a/test/SerialIOTest.cpp b/test/SerialIOTest.cpp
index 4a9bc2b6c2..325cab4031 100644
--- a/test/SerialIOTest.cpp
+++ b/test/SerialIOTest.cpp
@@ -7571,9 +7571,6 @@ void groupbased_read_write(std::string const &ext)
         read.close();
     }
 
-    return;
-    std::cout << "Now truncate " << filename << std::endl;
-
     // check that truncation works correctly
     {
         Series write(filename, Access::CREATE);