diff --git a/Source/Diagnostics/WarpXOpenPMD.cpp b/Source/Diagnostics/WarpXOpenPMD.cpp
index 2cee7db218e..1b0fc2d4a62 100644
--- a/Source/Diagnostics/WarpXOpenPMD.cpp
+++ b/Source/Diagnostics/WarpXOpenPMD.cpp
@@ -754,7 +754,17 @@ WarpXOpenPMDPlot::DumpToFile (ParticleContainer* pc,
 
             // Do not call storeChunk() with zero-sized particle tiles:
             //   https://github.com/openPMD/openPMD-api/issues/1147
-            if (numParticleOnTile == 0) continue;
+            //   https://github.com/ECP-WarpX/WarpX/pull/1898#discussion_r745008290
+            // unless we append in ADIOS2:
+            //   https://github.com/ECP-WarpX/WarpX/issues/3389
+            //   https://github.com/ornladios/ADIOS2/issues/3455
+            //   BP4 (ADIOS 2.8): last MPI rank's `Put` meta-data wins
+            //   BP5 (ADIOS 2.8): everyone has to write an empty block
+            bool write_empty_blocks = false;
+            if (m_Series->backend() == "MPI_ADIOS1" ||
+                m_Series->backend() == "ADIOS2")
+                write_empty_blocks = isBTD;
+            if (numParticleOnTile == 0 && !write_empty_blocks) continue;
 
             // get position and particle ID from aos
             // note: this implementation iterates the AoS 4x...