diff --git a/include/villas/format.hpp b/include/villas/format.hpp
index 4f670ce3a..76ba1571f 100644
--- a/include/villas/format.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/format.hpp
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ public:
 
   int getFlags() const { return flags; }
 
-  void start(const SignalList::Ptr sigs, int fl = (int)SampleFlags::HAS_ALL);
-  void start(const std::string &dtypes, int fl = (int)SampleFlags::HAS_ALL);
+  void start(const SignalList::Ptr sigs, int fl = (int)SampleFlags::ALL);
+  void start(const std::string &dtypes, int fl = (int)SampleFlags::ALL);
 
   virtual void start() {}
 
diff --git a/include/villas/sample.hpp b/include/villas/sample.hpp
index 8de132db0..4c4059170 100644
--- a/include/villas/sample.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/sample.hpp
@@ -47,11 +47,12 @@ enum class SampleFlags {
 
   HAS_TS =
       HAS_TS_ORIGIN | HAS_TS_RECEIVED, // Include origin timestamp in output.
-  HAS_ALL = (1 << 5) - 1,              // Enable all output options.
 
   NEW_FRAME = (1 << 16), // This sample is the last of a running simulation case
   NEW_SIMULATION =
-      (1 << 17) | NEW_FRAME // This sample is the first of a new simulation case
+      (1 << 17), // This sample is the first of a new simulation case
+
+  ALL = -1
 };
 
 struct Sample {
diff --git a/lib/hooks/frame.cpp b/lib/hooks/frame.cpp
index f13b05bbf..02faed7a9 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/frame.cpp
+++ b/lib/hooks/frame.cpp
@@ -64,14 +64,19 @@ private:
     bool changed = false;
 
     if (!last_smp.get() ||
-        (next_smp->flags & (int)SampleFlags::NEW_SIMULATION) ==
-            (int)SampleFlags::NEW_SIMULATION) {
+        (next_smp->flags & (int)SampleFlags::NEW_SIMULATION)) {
       changed = true;
     } else if (trigger == Trigger::SEQUENCE) {
+      if (!(next_smp->flags & (int)SampleFlags::HAS_SEQUENCE))
+        throw RuntimeError{"Missing sequence number."};
+
       auto last_interval = (last_smp->sequence + interval - offset) / interval;
       auto next_interval = (next_smp->sequence + interval - offset) / interval;
       changed = last_interval != next_interval;
-    } else
+    } else {
+      if (!(next_smp->flags & (int)SampleFlags::HAS_TS_ORIGIN))
+        throw RuntimeError{"Missing origin timestamp."};
+
       switch (unit.value()) {
       case Unit::HOURS: {
         auto last_hour = last_smp->ts.origin.tv_sec / 3'600;
@@ -156,6 +161,7 @@ private:
         break;
       }
       }
+    }
 
     if (changed)
       logger->debug("new frame");
diff --git a/src/villas-hook.cpp b/src/villas-hook.cpp
index 97b41782e..0a3985b91 100644
--- a/src/villas-hook.cpp
+++ b/src/villas-hook.cpp
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ protected:
       if (!(*d.formatter))
         throw RuntimeError("Failed to initialize {} IO", d.dir);
 
-      (*d.formatter)->start(dtypes, (int)SampleFlags::HAS_ALL);
+      (*d.formatter)->start(dtypes, (int)SampleFlags::ALL);
     }
 
     // Initialize hook
diff --git a/tests/unit/format.cpp b/tests/unit/format.cpp
index 54abc41bb..c97120e4e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/format.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/format.cpp
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ ParameterizedTest(Param *p, format, lowlevel, .init = init_memory) {
   cr_assert_not_null(fmt, "Failed to create formatter of type '%s'",
                      p->fmt.c_str());
 
-  fmt->start(signals, (int)SampleFlags::HAS_ALL);
+  fmt->start(signals, (int)SampleFlags::ALL);
 
   cnt = fmt->sprint(buf, sizeof(buf), &wbytes, smps, p->cnt);
   cr_assert_eq(cnt, p->cnt, "Written only %d of %d samples", cnt, p->cnt);
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ ParameterizedTest(Param *p, format, highlevel, .init = init_memory) {
   cr_assert_not_null(fmt, "Failed to create formatter of type '%s'",
                      p->fmt.c_str());
 
-  fmt->start(signals, (int)SampleFlags::HAS_ALL);
+  fmt->start(signals, (int)SampleFlags::ALL);
 
   auto *stream = fopen(fn, "w+");
   cr_assert_not_null(stream);