diff --git a/src/output.cpp b/src/output.cpp
index ffa5c3d07d..f9e08dbefc 100644
--- a/src/output.cpp
+++ b/src/output.cpp
@@ -735,15 +735,15 @@ void Output::reset_dt()
    add a Dump to list of Dumps
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-Dump *Output::add_dump(int narg, char **arg)
+void Output::add_dump(int narg, char **arg)
 {
   if (narg < 5) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal dump command");
 
   // error checks
 
   for (int idump = 0; idump < ndump; idump++)
-    if (strcmp(arg[0],dump[idump]->id) == 0) error->all(FLERR,"Reuse of dump ID: {}", arg[0]);
-
+    if (strcmp(arg[0],dump[idump]->id) == 0)
+      error->all(FLERR,"Reuse of dump ID: {}", arg[0]);
   int igroup = group->find(arg[1]);
   if (igroup == -1) error->all(FLERR,"Could not find dump group ID: {}", arg[1]);
   if (utils::inumeric(FLERR,arg[3],false,lmp) <= 0)
@@ -765,27 +765,25 @@ Dump *Output::add_dump(int narg, char **arg)
   }
 
   // create the Dump
-  int idump = ndump;
 
   if (dump_map->find(arg[2]) != dump_map->end()) {
     DumpCreator &dump_creator = (*dump_map)[arg[2]];
-    dump[idump] = dump_creator(lmp, narg, arg);
+    dump[ndump] = dump_creator(lmp, narg, arg);
   } else error->all(FLERR,utils::check_packages_for_style("dump",arg[2],lmp));
 
   // initialize per-dump data to suitable default values
 
-  mode_dump[idump] = 0;
-  every_dump[idump] = utils::inumeric(FLERR,arg[3],false,lmp);
-  if (every_dump[idump] <= 0) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal dump command");
-  every_time_dump[idump] = 0.0;
-  next_time_dump[idump] = -1.0;
-  last_dump[idump] = -1;
-  var_dump[idump] = nullptr;
-  ivar_dump[idump] = -1;
-  next_dump[idump] = 0;
+  mode_dump[ndump] = 0;
+  every_dump[ndump] = utils::inumeric(FLERR,arg[3],false,lmp);
+  if (every_dump[ndump] <= 0) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal dump command");
+  every_time_dump[ndump] = 0.0;
+  next_time_dump[ndump] = -1.0;
+  last_dump[ndump] = -1;
+  var_dump[ndump] = nullptr;
+  ivar_dump[ndump] = -1;
+  next_dump[ndump] = 0;
 
   ndump++;
-  return dump[idump];
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/write_dump.cpp b/src/write_dump.cpp
index 4542f8b4a8..e9f610fe31 100644
--- a/src/write_dump.cpp
+++ b/src/write_dump.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 #include "write_dump.h"
-#include "style_dump.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
 
 #include "comm.h"
 #include "dump.h"
+#include "dump_cfg.h"
 #include "dump_image.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "output.h"
 #include "update.h"
 
 #include <cstring>
@@ -45,8 +46,6 @@ void WriteDump::command(int narg, char **arg)
   // create the Dump instance
   // create dump command line with extra required args
 
-  Dump *dump = nullptr;
-
   auto dumpargs = new char*[modindex+2];
   dumpargs[0] = (char *) "WRITE_DUMP"; // dump id
   dumpargs[1] = arg[0];                // group
@@ -54,21 +53,9 @@ void WriteDump::command(int narg, char **arg)
   std::string ntimestep = std::to_string(MAX(update->ntimestep,1));
   dumpargs[3] = (char *) ntimestep.c_str();          // dump frequency
 
-  for (int i = 2; i < modindex; ++i)
-    dumpargs[i+2] = arg[i];
-
-  if (false) {      // NOLINT
-    return;         // dummy branch to enable else-if macro expansion
-
-#define DUMP_CLASS
-#define DumpStyle(key,Class) \
-  } else if (strcmp(arg[1],#key) == 0) { \
-    dump = new Class(lmp,modindex+2,dumpargs);
-#include "style_dump.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
-#undef DUMP_CLASS
-
-  } else error->all(FLERR,utils::check_packages_for_style("dump",arg[1],lmp));
+  for (int i = 2; i < modindex; ++i) dumpargs[i+2] = arg[i];
 
+  Dump *dump = output->add_dump(modindex+2, dumpargs);
   if (modindex < narg) dump->modify_params(narg-modindex-1,&arg[modindex+1]);
 
   // write out one frame and then delete the dump again
@@ -88,6 +75,6 @@ void WriteDump::command(int narg, char **arg)
 
   // delete the Dump instance and local storage
 
-  delete dump;
+  output->delete_dump(dumpargs[0]);
   delete[] dumpargs;
 }