diff --git a/python/damask/_result.py b/python/damask/_result.py
index e832ad573..1a301a27c 100644
--- a/python/damask/_result.py
+++ b/python/damask/_result.py
@@ -1342,18 +1342,18 @@ class Result:
                                     f[os.path.join(inc,'homogenization',ho,me,da)][()]
 
         if strip:    r = util.dict_strip(r)
-
+        if compress: r = util.dict_compress(r)
         return r
 
 
-    def place(self,labels,fill_int=0,fill_float=0,constituents=None):
+    def place(self,labels,compress=True,strip=True,constituents=None,fill_int=0,fill_float=0.0):
         r = {}
 
         labels_ = [labels] if isinstance(labels,str) else labels
         if constituents is None:
             constituents_ = range(self.N_constituents)
         else:
-            constituents_ = labels if isinstance(labels,list) else [labels] # allow abribtrary iterable
+            constituents_ = labels if isinstance(labels,list) else [labels] # fix
 
 
         grp  = 'mapping' if self.version_minor < 12 else 'cell_to'
@@ -1388,4 +1388,6 @@ class Result:
                                     dt = np.dtype(data.dtype,metadata={'description':description,
                                                                        'unit':unit})
                                     r[inc]['phase'][me][da] = ma.empty((N_cells,)+data.shape[1:],dtype=dt)
+        if strip:    r = util.dict_strip(r)
+        if compress: r = util.dict_compress(r)
         return r
diff --git a/python/damask/util.py b/python/damask/util.py
index 3f0846588..735db39a0 100644
--- a/python/damask/util.py
+++ b/python/damask/util.py
@@ -411,10 +411,24 @@ def dict_strip(a_dict):
 
 
 def dict_compress(a_dict):
+    # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/48151953
+    if isinstance(a_dict,dict) and len(a_dict) == 1:
+        key = list(a_dict.keys())[0]
+        entry = a_dict[key]
+        if isinstance(entry,dict):
+            new_dict = dict_compress(entry.copy())
+        else:
+            new_dict = entry
+    else:
+        new_dict = {}
+        for k, v in a_dict.items():
+            if isinstance(v, dict):
+                v = dict_compress(v)
+            if not isinstance(v,dict) or v != {}:
+                new_dict[k] = v
+    return new_dict
 
 
-    return None
-
 
 ####################################################################################################
 # Classes