diff --git a/src/journal.sh b/src/journal.sh
index 516f292..0ad9913 100644
--- a/src/journal.sh
+++ b/src/journal.sh
@@ -118,7 +131,6 @@ rlJournalStart(){
     export __INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA="$BEAKERLIB_DIR/PersistentData"
     export __INTERNAL_TEST_RESULTS="$BEAKERLIB_DIR/TestResults"
     export __INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN=''
-    __INTERNAL_PersistentDataLoad
     export __INTERNAL_PHASES_FAILED=0
     export __INTERNAL_PHASES_PASSED=0
     export __INTERNAL_PHASES_SKIPPED=0
@@ -130,16 +142,20 @@ rlJournalStart(){
     __INTERNAL_PHASE_STARTTIME=()
     __INTERNAL_PHASE_METRICS=()
     export __INTERNAL_PHASE_OPEN=0
+    __INTERNAL_PersistentDataLoad
 
     if [[ -z "$__INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN" ]]; then
       # Create Header for XML journal
       __INTERNAL_CreateHeader
       # Create log element for XML journal
-      __INTERNAL_WriteToMetafile log
+      __INTERNAL_WriteToMetafile log || {
+        __INTERNAL_LogText "could not write to metafile" FATAL
+        exit 1
+      }
+      __INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN=1
+      # Increase level of indent
+      __INTERNAL_METAFILE_INDENT_LEVEL=1
     fi
-    __INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN=1
-    # Increase level of indent
-    __INTERNAL_METAFILE_INDENT_LEVEL=1
 
     # display a warning message if run in POSIX mode
     if [ $POSIXFIXED == "YES" ] ; then
@@ -938,20 +957,30 @@ __INTERNAL_PrintHeadLog() {
 # should be called before and after that respectively.
 
 __INTERNAL_PersistentDataSave() {
-  cat > "$__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA" <<EOF
-__INTERNAL_STARTTIME=$__INTERNAL_STARTTIME
-__INTERNAL_TEST_STATE=$__INTERNAL_TEST_STATE
-__INTERNAL_PHASES_PASSED=$__INTERNAL_PHASES_PASSED
-__INTERNAL_PHASES_FAILED=$__INTERNAL_PHASES_FAILED
-__INTERNAL_PHASES_SKIPPED=$__INTERNAL_PHASES_SKIPPED
-__INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN=$__INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN
-__INTERNAL_PHASES_WORST_RESULT=$__INTERNAL_PHASES_WORST_RESULT
-EOF
-declare -p __INTERNAL_PHASE_FAILED >> $__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA
-declare -p __INTERNAL_PHASE_PASSED >> $__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA
-declare -p __INTERNAL_PHASE_STARTTIME >> $__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA
-declare -p __INTERNAL_PHASE_TXTLOG_START >> $__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA
-declare -p __INTERNAL_PHASE_METRICS >> $__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA
+  local var
+  (
+    for var in \
+     __INTERNAL_STARTTIME \
+     __INTERNAL_TEST_STATE \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASES_PASSED \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASES_FAILED \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASES_SKIPPED \
+     __INTERNAL_JOURNAL_OPEN \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_OPEN \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASES_WORST_RESULT \
+     __INTERNAL_METAFILE_INDENT_LEVEL \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_TYPE \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_NAME \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_FAILED \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_PASSED \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_STARTTIME \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_TXTLOG_START \
+     __INTERNAL_PHASE_METRICS \
+     ;
+    do
+      declare -p $var
+    done
+  ) | sed -r 's/declare/\0 -g/' > "$__INTERNAL_PERSISTENT_DATA"
 }
 
 __INTERNAL_PersistentDataLoad() {