diff --git a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp5/BP5Deserializer.cpp b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp5/BP5Deserializer.cpp
index 7446799092..b7edfc9e50 100644
--- a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp5/BP5Deserializer.cpp
+++ b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp5/BP5Deserializer.cpp
@@ -498,6 +498,7 @@ void *BP5Deserializer::VarSetup(core::Engine *engine, const char *variableName,
     {                                                                          \
         core::Variable<T> *variable =                                          \
             &(engine->m_IO.DefineVariable<T>(variableName));                   \
+        engine->RegisterCreatedVariable(variable);                             \
         variable->SetData((T *)data);                                          \
         variable->m_AvailableStepsCount = 1;                                   \
         return (void *)variable;                                               \
@@ -547,6 +548,7 @@ void *BP5Deserializer::ArrayVarSetup(core::Engine *engine,
     {
         core::VariableStruct *variable = &(engine->m_IO.DefineStructVariable(
             variableName, *Def, VecShape, VecStart, VecCount));
+        engine->RegisterCreatedVariable(variable);
         variable->m_ReadStructDefinition = ReaderDef;
         return (void *)variable;
     }
@@ -555,6 +557,7 @@ void *BP5Deserializer::ArrayVarSetup(core::Engine *engine,
     {                                                                          \
         core::Variable<T> *variable =                                          \
             &(engine->m_IO.DefineVariable<T>(variableName));                   \
+        engine->RegisterCreatedVariable(variable);                             \
         variable->m_Shape = VecShape;                                          \
         variable->m_Start = VecStart;                                          \
         variable->m_Count = VecCount;                                          \
diff --git a/testing/adios2/engine/staging-common/TestCommonRead.cpp b/testing/adios2/engine/staging-common/TestCommonRead.cpp
index a76260c670..867cdce32e 100644
--- a/testing/adios2/engine/staging-common/TestCommonRead.cpp
+++ b/testing/adios2/engine/staging-common/TestCommonRead.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ TEST_F(CommonReadTest, ADIOS2CommonRead1D8)
         }
         ts = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
         adios2::StepStatus status = engine.BeginStep();
+        auto av = io.AvailableVariables();
+
         Seconds timeBeginStep = std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - ts;
         begin_statuses.push_back(status);
         begin_times.push_back(timeBeginStep);
@@ -93,8 +95,6 @@ TEST_F(CommonReadTest, ADIOS2CommonRead1D8)
         {
             break;
         }
-        auto av = io.AvailableVariables();
-
         const size_t currentStep = engine.CurrentStep();
         EXPECT_EQ(currentStep, t);