diff --git a/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/include/seerep-hdf5-core/hdf5-core-general.h b/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/include/seerep-hdf5-core/hdf5-core-general.h
index 3d15e4917..80fbbbf87 100644
--- a/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/include/seerep-hdf5-core/hdf5-core-general.h
+++ b/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/include/seerep-hdf5-core/hdf5-core-general.h
@@ -92,14 +92,13 @@ class Hdf5CoreGeneral
   // Hdf5
   //################
   /**
-   * @brief Get a shared pointer to a hdf5 group specified by the hdf5GroupPath.
-   *
-   * If a group with the path already exists we use that, otherwise a new one is created.
+   * @brief Get a shared pointer to a hdf5 group
    *
    * @param hdf5GroupPath path to the data group
+   * @param create create a new group if the group path can't be found?
    * @return std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> shared pointer to the group
    */
-  std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> getHdf5Group(const std::string& hdf5GroupPath);
+  std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> getHdf5Group(const std::string& hdf5GroupPath, bool create = true);
   /**
    * @brief Get a shared pointer to a hdf5 data set specified by the hdf5DataSetPath
    *
diff --git a/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/src/hdf5-core-general.cpp b/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/src/hdf5-core-general.cpp
index 3e0815289..c047a3577 100644
--- a/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/src/hdf5-core-general.cpp
+++ b/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-core/src/hdf5-core-general.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ void Hdf5CoreGeneral::readInstances(const std::string& id, const std::string ins
   datasetInstances.read(instances);
 }
 
-std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> Hdf5CoreGeneral::getHdf5Group(const std::string& hdf5GroupPath)
+std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> Hdf5CoreGeneral::getHdf5Group(const std::string& hdf5GroupPath, bool create)
 {
   try
   {
@@ -379,7 +379,14 @@ std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> Hdf5CoreGeneral::getHdf5Group(const std::string
   {
     BOOST_LOG_SEV(m_logger, boost::log::trivial::severity_level::trace)
         << "hdf5 group " << hdf5GroupPath << " does not exist! Creating a new group";
-    return std::make_shared<HighFive::Group>(m_file->createGroup(hdf5GroupPath));
+    if (create)
+    {
+      return std::make_shared<HighFive::Group>(m_file->createGroup(hdf5GroupPath));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      return nullptr;
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-fb/src/hdf5-fb-pointcloud.cpp b/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-fb/src/hdf5-fb-pointcloud.cpp
index 001329c9e..3103827bb 100644
--- a/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-fb/src/hdf5-fb-pointcloud.cpp
+++ b/seerep-hdf5/seerep-hdf5-fb/src/hdf5-fb-pointcloud.cpp
@@ -206,17 +206,10 @@ Hdf5FbPointCloud::readPointCloud2(const std::string& id, const bool withoutData)
   BOOST_LOG_SEV(m_logger, boost::log::trivial::severity_level::debug)
       << "loading flatbuffers point cloud from: " << hdf5GroupPath;
 
-  std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> dataGroupPtr;
+  std::shared_ptr<HighFive::Group> dataGroupPtr = getHdf5Group(hdf5GroupPath, false);
 
-  try
-  {
-    checkExists(hdf5GroupPath);
-    dataGroupPtr = std::make_shared<HighFive::Group>(m_file->getGroup(hdf5GroupPath));
-  }
-  catch (std::invalid_argument const& e)
+  if (!dataGroupPtr)
   {
-    BOOST_LOG_SEV(m_logger, boost::log::trivial::severity_level::warning)
-        << "hdf5 group " << hdf5GroupPath << " does not exist!";
     return std::nullopt;
   }