diff --git a/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.cpp b/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.cpp
index d4f3208ffb..be1c9768bf 100644
--- a/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.cpp
+++ b/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.cpp
@@ -124,6 +124,12 @@ void DumpYAML::write_data(int n, double *mybuf)
     }
     fputs("]\n", fp);
   }
+}
+
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+void DumpYAML::write_footer()
+{
   fputs("...\n", fp);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.h b/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.h
index bf621dcb51..60ab894de4 100644
--- a/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.h
+++ b/src/EXTRA-DUMP/dump_yaml.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class DumpYAML : public DumpCustom {
   void write() override;
   void write_header(bigint) override;
   void write_data(int, double *) override;
+  void write_footer() override;
 
   int modify_param(int, char **) override;
 };
diff --git a/src/dump.cpp b/src/dump.cpp
index 3569d32165..a354be4f04 100644
--- a/src/dump.cpp
+++ b/src/dump.cpp
@@ -517,6 +517,8 @@ void Dump::write()
 
   if (refreshflag) modify->compute[irefresh]->refresh();
 
+  if (filewriter && fp != nullptr) write_footer();
+
   // if file per timestep, close file if I am filewriter
 
   if (multifile) {
diff --git a/src/dump.h b/src/dump.h
index a95029ada8..90866a3567 100644
--- a/src/dump.h
+++ b/src/dump.h
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ class Dump : protected Pointers {
   virtual void pack(tagint *) = 0;
   virtual int convert_string(int, double *) { return 0; }
   virtual void write_data(int, double *) = 0;
+  virtual void write_footer() {}
+
   void pbc_allocate();
   double compute_time();