diff --git a/Docs/source/usage/parameters.rst b/Docs/source/usage/parameters.rst
index af45080ee59..87c2ca16f7a 100644
--- a/Docs/source/usage/parameters.rst
+++ b/Docs/source/usage/parameters.rst
@@ -3129,6 +3129,9 @@ The checkpoint capability can be turned with regular diagnostics: ``<diag_name>.
     Name of the checkpoint file to restart from. Returns an error if the folder does not exist
     or if it is not properly formatted.
 
+* ``warpx.write_diagonstics_on_restart`` (`bool`) optional (default `false`)
+    When `true`, write the diagnostics after restart at the time of the restart.
+
 Intervals parser
 ----------------
 
diff --git a/Source/Initialization/WarpXInitData.cpp b/Source/Initialization/WarpXInitData.cpp
index 0e1bb4aa785..233d03a0c58 100644
--- a/Source/Initialization/WarpXInitData.cpp
+++ b/Source/Initialization/WarpXInitData.cpp
@@ -483,15 +483,17 @@ WarpX::InitData ()
         // looks at field values will see the composite of the field
         // solution and any external field
         AddExternalFields();
+    }
 
+    if (restart_chkfile.empty() || write_diagonstics_on_restart) {
         // Write full diagnostics before the first iteration.
-        multi_diags->FilterComputePackFlush( -1 );
+        multi_diags->FilterComputePackFlush(istep[0] - 1);
 
         // Write reduced diagnostics before the first iteration.
         if (reduced_diags->m_plot_rd != 0)
         {
-            reduced_diags->ComputeDiags(-1);
-            reduced_diags->WriteToFile(-1);
+            reduced_diags->ComputeDiags(istep[0] - 1);
+            reduced_diags->WriteToFile(istep[0] - 1);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/Source/WarpX.H b/Source/WarpX.H
index eeb71f042bd..3a740d1b000 100644
--- a/Source/WarpX.H
+++ b/Source/WarpX.H
@@ -1540,6 +1540,9 @@ private:
 
     std::string restart_chkfile;
 
+    /** When `true`, write the diagnostics after restart at the time of the restart. */
+    bool write_diagonstics_on_restart = false;
+
     amrex::VisMF::Header::Version plotfile_headerversion  = amrex::VisMF::Header::Version_v1;
     amrex::VisMF::Header::Version slice_plotfile_headerversion  = amrex::VisMF::Header::Version_v1;
 
diff --git a/Source/WarpX.cpp b/Source/WarpX.cpp
index 8d4e9846239..27d463c12f0 100644
--- a/Source/WarpX.cpp
+++ b/Source/WarpX.cpp
@@ -617,6 +617,8 @@ WarpX::ReadParameters ()
             }
         }
 
+        pp_warpx.query("write_diagonstics_on_restart", write_diagonstics_on_restart);
+
         pp_warpx.queryarr("checkpoint_signals", signals_in);
 #if defined(__linux__) || defined(__APPLE__)
         for (const std::string &str : signals_in) {