diff --git a/src/main/java/bdv/img/hdf5/HDF5Access.java b/src/main/java/bdv/img/hdf5/HDF5Access.java
index 7a54c5ba..354d1aeb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/bdv/img/hdf5/HDF5Access.java
+++ b/src/main/java/bdv/img/hdf5/HDF5Access.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import hdf.hdf5lib.H5;
 import hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants;
 import hdf.hdf5lib.exceptions.HDF5LibraryException;
+import hdf.hdf5lib.structs.H5O_info_t;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -57,7 +58,6 @@
 import static hdf.hdf5lib.H5.H5open;
 import static hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants.H5F_ACC_RDONLY;
 import static hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants.H5O_TYPE_DATASET;
-import static hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants.H5O_TYPE_GROUP;
 import static hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants.H5P_DEFAULT;
 import static hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants.H5S_SELECT_SET;
 import static net.imglib2.util.Util.long2int;
@@ -153,10 +153,13 @@ public synchronized void clear()
 
 		private boolean datasetExists( final String pathName )
 		{
+			if ( "/".equals( pathName ) )
+				return false;
+
 			try
 			{
-				final int objectTypeId = "/".equals( pathName ) ? H5O_TYPE_GROUP : HDFHelper.H5Oget_info_by_name( fileId, pathName, false ).type;
-				return objectTypeId == H5O_TYPE_DATASET;
+				final H5O_info_t info = H5.H5Oget_info_by_name( fileId, pathName, HDF5Constants.H5O_INFO_BASIC, HDF5Constants.H5P_DEFAULT );
+				return info.type == H5O_TYPE_DATASET;
 			}
 			catch ( HDF5LibraryException e )
 			{