diff --git a/gguf-py/gguf/gguf.py b/gguf-py/gguf/gguf.py
index 45204b70a..7a54b5dcf 100644
--- a/gguf-py/gguf/gguf.py
+++ b/gguf-py/gguf/gguf.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import shutil
 import struct
 import sys
 import tempfile
-from enum import IntEnum, auto
+from enum import Enum, IntEnum, auto
 from io import BufferedWriter
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import IO, Any, BinaryIO, Callable, Sequence
@@ -636,6 +636,13 @@ class GGUFValueType(IntEnum):
             sys.exit()
 
 
+class WriterState(Enum):
+    EMPTY   = auto()
+    HEADER  = auto()
+    KV_DATA = auto()
+    TI_DATA = auto()
+
+
 class GGUFWriter:
     fout: BufferedWriter
     temp_file: tempfile.SpooledTemporaryFile[bytes] | None
@@ -676,24 +683,37 @@ class GGUFWriter:
         self.tensors = []
         endianess_str = "Big Endian" if self.endianess == GGUFEndian.BIG else "Little Endian"
         print(f"This gguf file is for {endianess_str} only")
+        self.state = WriterState.EMPTY
 
         self.add_architecture()
 
     def write_header_to_file(self):
+        if self.state is not WriterState.EMPTY:
+            raise ValueError(f'Expected output file to be empty, got {self.state}')
+
         self.fout.write(struct.pack("<I", GGUF_MAGIC))
         self.fout.write(struct.pack(f"{self.pack_prefix}I", GGUF_VERSION))
         self.fout.write(struct.pack(f"{self.pack_prefix}Q", self.ti_data_count))
         self.fout.write(struct.pack(f"{self.pack_prefix}Q", self.kv_data_count))
         self.flush()
-#        print("tensors " + str(self.ti_data_count) + " kv " + str(self.kv_data_count))
+        #print("tensors " + str(self.ti_data_count) + " kv " + str(self.kv_data_count))
+        self.state = WriterState.HEADER
 
     def write_kv_data_to_file(self):
+        if self.state is not WriterState.HEADER:
+            raise ValueError(f'Expected output file to contain the header, got {self.state}')
+
         self.fout.write(self.kv_data)
         self.flush()
+        self.state = WriterState.KV_DATA
 
     def write_ti_data_to_file(self):
+        if self.state is not WriterState.KV_DATA:
+            raise ValueError(f'Expected output file to contain KV data, got {self.state}')
+
         self.fout.write(self.ti_data)
         self.flush()
+        self.state = WriterState.TI_DATA
 
     def add_key(self, key: str):
         self.add_val(key, GGUFValueType.STRING, add_vtype=False)
@@ -828,6 +848,9 @@ class GGUFWriter:
             fp.write(bytes([0] * pad))
 
     def write_tensor_data(self, tensor: np.ndarray[Any, Any]):
+        if self.state is not WriterState.TI_DATA:
+            raise ValueError(f'Expected output file to contain tensor info, got {self.state}')
+
         if self.endianess==GGUFEndian.BIG:
             tensor.byteswap(inplace=True)
         self.write_padding(self.fout, self.fout.tell())