diff --git a/src/language/modules/VTKModule.cpp b/src/language/modules/VTKModule.cpp
index f815a78e763b387ee5707d9ac65ec1f038a36b14..ce84141ee866f7ac6fdbb8448db78d0d1b64de88 100644
--- a/src/language/modules/VTKModule.cpp
+++ b/src/language/modules/VTKModule.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ VTKModule::VTKModule()
                                   const std::shared_ptr<const MeshType> mesh =
                                     std::dynamic_pointer_cast<const MeshType>(p_mesh);
 
-                                  writer.write(mesh, OutputNamedItemValueSet{}, time, true);
+                                  writer.write(mesh,
+                                               OutputNamedItemValueSet{
+                                                 NamedItemValue{"cell_number", mesh->connectivity().cellNumber()}},
+                                               time, true);
                                   break;
                                 }
                                 case 2: {
@@ -32,7 +35,10 @@ VTKModule::VTKModule()
                                   const std::shared_ptr<const MeshType> mesh =
                                     std::dynamic_pointer_cast<const MeshType>(p_mesh);
 
-                                  writer.write(mesh, OutputNamedItemValueSet{}, time, true);
+                                  writer.write(mesh,
+                                               OutputNamedItemValueSet{
+                                                 NamedItemValue{"cell_number", mesh->connectivity().cellNumber()}},
+                                               time, true);
                                   break;
                                 }
                                 case 3: {
@@ -40,7 +46,10 @@ VTKModule::VTKModule()
                                   const std::shared_ptr<const MeshType> mesh =
                                     std::dynamic_pointer_cast<const MeshType>(p_mesh);
 
-                                  writer.write(mesh, OutputNamedItemValueSet{}, time, true);
+                                  writer.write(mesh,
+                                               OutputNamedItemValueSet{
+                                                 NamedItemValue{"cell_number", mesh->connectivity().cellNumber()}},
+                                               time, true);
                                   break;
                                 }
                                 }