diff --git a/src/templates_front/templator_front.org b/src/templates_front/templator_front.org
index 9ea77cb..e62f7ae 100644
--- a/src/templates_front/templator_front.org
+++ b/src/templates_front/templator_front.org
@@ -1520,13 +1520,13 @@ trexio_read_chunk_ao_2e_int_eri_value_64(trexio_t* const file,
 
      #+begin_src c :tangle hrw_dset_str_front.h :exports none
 trexio_exit_code trexio_has_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file);
-trexio_exit_code trexio_read_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file, char* const dset, const uint32_t max_str_len);
+trexio_exit_code trexio_read_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file, char* dset, const uint32_t max_str_len);
 trexio_exit_code trexio_write_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file, const char* dset, const uint32_t max_str_len);
      #+end_src
 
      #+begin_src c :tangle read_dset_str_front.c
 trexio_exit_code
-trexio_read_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, char* const dset, const uint32_t max_str_len)
+trexio_read_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, char* dset, const uint32_t max_str_len)
 {
 
   if (file  == NULL) return TREXIO_INVALID_ARG_1;
@@ -1546,22 +1546,70 @@ trexio_read_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, char* const dset, const uint32_t
 
   assert(file->back_end < TREXIO_INVALID_BACK_END);
 
+  char*  tmp_str  = CALLOC(dims[0]*(128+1)+1, char);
+  if (tmp_str == NULL) return TREXIO_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+
   switch (file->back_end) {
 
   case TREXIO_TEXT:
-    //return trexio_text_read_$group_dset$(file, dset_str, rank, dims);
+    //rc = trexio_text_read_$group_dset$(file, dset_str, rank, dims);
     break;
 
   case TREXIO_HDF5:
-    return trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$(file, dset, rank, dims, max_str_len);
+    rc = trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$(file, tmp_str, rank, dims);
     break;
 /*
   case TREXIO_JSON:
-    return trexio_json_read_$group_dset$(file, dset, rank, dims);
+    rc = trexio_json_read_$group_dset$(file, dset, rank, dims);
     break;
 ,*/
   }
 
+  if (rc != TREXIO_SUCCESS) {
+    FREE(tmp_str);
+    return rc;
+  }
+
+  size_t len_read;
+  size_t len_accum = 0;
+  char * pch;
+  char buf[32];
+
+  printf("%s\n", tmp_str);
+
+  strcpy(dset, "");
+  for(uint64_t i=0; i<dims[0]; i++) {
+    
+    //pch = i == 0 ? strtok(dset, TREXIO_DELIM) : strtok(NULL, TREXIO_DELIM) ;
+    if(i==0) {
+      pch = strtok(tmp_str, TREXIO_DELIM);
+    } else {      
+      pch = strtok(NULL, TREXIO_DELIM);
+    }
+
+    len_read = strlen(pch);
+    //printf("Len [%ld] = %ld\n", i, len_read);
+
+    if (max_str_len < len_read) {
+      /*for(size_t i = len_accum + max_str_len; i < len_accum + len_read; i++) {
+        tmp_str[i] = '\0';
+      }*/
+      for(size_t i = len_accum; i < len_accum + max_str_len; i++) {
+        buf[i-len_accum] = tmp_str[i];
+      }
+      strcat(dset, buf);
+    } else {
+      strcat(dset, pch);
+    }
+      
+    strcat(dset, TREXIO_DELIM);
+    len_accum += len_read + 1;
+    
+  }
+  
+  FREE(tmp_str);
+ 
+  return TREXIO_SUCCESS;
 }
      #+end_src
 
@@ -1615,7 +1663,7 @@ trexio_write_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, const char* dset, const uint32_
     if (pch_len > max_str_len) {
       FREE(dset_str[0]);
       FREE(dset_str);
-      return TREXIO_INVALID_STR_LEN;
+      return TREXIO_INVALID_ARG_3;
     }
 
     dset_str[i]=tmp_str;
diff --git a/src/templates_hdf5/templator_hdf5.org b/src/templates_hdf5/templator_hdf5.org
index 8965cca..6b2cc8b 100644
--- a/src/templates_hdf5/templator_hdf5.org
+++ b/src/templates_hdf5/templator_hdf5.org
@@ -414,13 +414,13 @@ trexio_hdf5_has_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file)
 
    #+begin_src c :tangle hrw_dset_str_hdf5.h :exports none
 trexio_exit_code trexio_hdf5_has_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file);
-trexio_exit_code trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file, char* const $group_dset$, const uint32_t rank, const uint64_t* dims, const uint32_t max_str_len);
+trexio_exit_code trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file, char* const $group_dset$, const uint32_t rank, const uint64_t* dims);
 trexio_exit_code trexio_hdf5_write_$group_dset$(trexio_t* const file, const char** $group_dset$, const uint32_t rank, const uint64_t* dims);
    #+end_src
 
    #+begin_src c :tangle read_dset_str_hdf5.c
 trexio_exit_code
-trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, char* const $group_dset$, const uint32_t rank, const uint64_t* dims, const uint32_t max_str_len)
+trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, char* const $group_dset$, const uint32_t rank, const uint64_t* dims)
 {
 
   if (file == NULL) return TREXIO_INVALID_ARG_1;
@@ -495,22 +495,14 @@ trexio_hdf5_read_$group_dset$ (trexio_t* const file, char* const $group_dset$, c
 
   // copy contents of temporary rdata buffer into the group_dset otherwise they are lost
   // after calling H5Treclaim or H5Dvlen_reclaim functions
+  size_t max_str_len = 2;
   strcpy($group_dset$, "");
-  for (uint64_t i=0; i<dims[0]; i++){
-
-    if (strlen(rdata[i]) > max_str_len) {
-      // this function is introduced in HDF5 v.1.12.0
-      //status = H5Treclaim (memtype, dspace, H5P_DEFAULT, rdata);
-      // this function is deprecated but used in v.<1.12.0
-      status = H5Dvlen_reclaim (memtype, dspace, H5P_DEFAULT, rdata);
-      FREE(rdata);
-      H5Dclose(dset_id);
-      H5Sclose(dspace);
-      H5Tclose(memtype); 
-      return TREXIO_INVALID_STR_LEN;
+  for (uint64_t i=0; i<dims[0]; i++) {
+    if (max_str_len < strlen(rdata[i])) {
+      strncat($group_dset$, rdata[i], max_str_len);
+    } else {
+      strcat($group_dset$, rdata[i]);
     }
-
-    strcat($group_dset$, rdata[i]);
     strcat($group_dset$, TREXIO_DELIM);
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_f.f90 b/tests/test_f.f90
index 4ba392e..415ad7c 100644
--- a/tests/test_f.f90
+++ b/tests/test_f.f90
@@ -2,19 +2,19 @@ program test_trexio
   use trexio
   implicit none
 
-  call system('rm -rf trexio_test_fort')
-  print *, 'call test_write(''trexio_test_fort'', TREXIO_TEXT)'
-  call test_write('trexio_test_fort', TREXIO_TEXT)
-  print *, 'call test_read(''trexio_test_fort'', TREXIO_TEXT)'
-  call test_read('trexio_test_fort', TREXIO_TEXT)
-  call system('rm -rf trexio_test_fort')
+  call system('rm -rf test_write_f.dir')
+  print *, 'call test_write(''test_write_f.dir'', TREXIO_TEXT)'
+  call test_write('test_write_f.dir', TREXIO_TEXT)
+  print *, 'call test_read(''test_write_f.dir'', TREXIO_TEXT)'
+  call test_read('test_write_f.dir', TREXIO_TEXT)
+  call system('rm -rf test_write_f.dir')
 
-  call system('rm -rf trexio_test_fort')
-  print *, 'call test_write(''trexio_test_fort.h5'', TREXIO_HDF5)'
-  call test_write('trexio_test_fort.h5', TREXIO_HDF5)
-  print *, 'call test_read(''trexio_test_fort.h5'', TREXIO_HDF5)'
-  call test_read('trexio_test_fort.h5', TREXIO_HDF5)
-  call system('rm -rf trexio_test_fort.h5')
+  call system('rm -rf test_write_f.h5')
+  print *, 'call test_write(''test_write_f.h5'', TREXIO_HDF5)'
+  call test_write('test_write_f.h5', TREXIO_HDF5)
+  print *, 'call test_read(''test_write_f.h5'', TREXIO_HDF5)'
+  call test_read('test_write_f.h5', TREXIO_HDF5)
+  call system('rm -rf test_write_f.h5')
 
 end program test_trexio