diff --git a/src/CPFEM2.f90 b/src/CPFEM2.f90
index 07f64b72a..ea5820852 100644
--- a/src/CPFEM2.f90
+++ b/src/CPFEM2.f90
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 module CPFEM2
   use prec
+  use parallelization
   use config
   use math
   use rotations
@@ -15,9 +16,10 @@ module CPFEM2
   use IO
   use base64
   use DAMASK_interface
-  use results
   use discretization
+  use HDF5
   use HDF5_utilities
+  use results
   use homogenization
   use phase
 #if   defined(MESH)
diff --git a/src/HDF5_utilities.f90 b/src/HDF5_utilities.f90
index 8c72fbbfb..ec8b16d49 100644
--- a/src/HDF5_utilities.f90
+++ b/src/HDF5_utilities.f90
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module HDF5_utilities
   use parallelization
 
   implicit none
-  public
+  private
 
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 !> @brief reads integer or float data of defined shape from file
@@ -76,6 +76,18 @@ module HDF5_utilities
 #else
   logical, parameter, private :: parallel_default = .false.
 #endif
+  public :: &
+    HDF5_utilities_init, &
+    HDF5_read, &
+    HDF5_write, &
+    HDF5_addAttribute, &
+    HDF5_addGroup, &
+    HDF5_openGroup, &
+    HDF5_closeGroup, &
+    HDF5_openFile, &
+    HDF5_closeFile, &
+    HDF5_objectExists, &
+    HDF5_setLink
 
 contains
 
diff --git a/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90 b/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90
index f603407ce..1f36336c0 100644
--- a/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90
+++ b/src/grid/grid_mech_FEM.f90
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ module grid_mechanical_FEM
   use parallelization
   use DAMASK_interface
   use IO
+  use HDF5
   use HDF5_utilities
   use math
   use rotations
diff --git a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90 b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90
index aee4b4427..d4be18ed7 100644
--- a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90
+++ b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_basic.f90
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ module grid_mechanical_spectral_basic
   use parallelization
   use DAMASK_interface
   use IO
+  use HDF5
   use HDF5_utilities
   use math
   use rotations
diff --git a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarisation.f90 b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarisation.f90
index 218e42678..7c71ec698 100644
--- a/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarisation.f90
+++ b/src/grid/grid_mech_spectral_polarisation.f90
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ module grid_mechanical_spectral_polarisation
   use parallelization
   use DAMASK_interface
   use IO
+  use HDF5
   use HDF5_utilities
   use math
   use rotations
diff --git a/src/homogenization.f90 b/src/homogenization.f90
index 8c9713eef..f34834272 100644
--- a/src/homogenization.f90
+++ b/src/homogenization.f90
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ module homogenization
   use material
   use phase
   use discretization
+  use HDF5
   use HDF5_utilities
   use results
   use lattice
diff --git a/src/phase.f90 b/src/phase.f90
index da1ff9d14..e396e5661 100644
--- a/src/phase.f90
+++ b/src/phase.f90
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ module phase
   use lattice
   use discretization
   use parallelization
+  use HDF5
   use HDF5_utilities
 
   implicit none
diff --git a/src/results.f90 b/src/results.f90
index 174023f1a..f348b7d9d 100644
--- a/src/results.f90
+++ b/src/results.f90
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@
 !> @author Martin Diehl, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 module results
+  use prec
   use DAMASK_interface
   use parallelization
   use IO
   use HDF5_utilities
+  use HDF5
 #ifdef PETSc
   use PETSC
 #endif