diff --git a/libctf/ChangeLog b/libctf/ChangeLog
index 671df685421..0aee504f3e1 100644
--- a/libctf/ChangeLog
+++ b/libctf/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2020-07-22  Nick Alcock  <nick.alcock@oracle.com>
+
+	* ctf-create.c (ctf_create): Mark dirty.
+
 2020-07-22  Nick Alcock  <nick.alcock@oracle.com>
 
 	* ctf-create.c (membcmp)  Skip nameless members.
diff --git a/libctf/ctf-create.c b/libctf/ctf-create.c
index 5cbcfe0a702..1416d187fd9 100644
--- a/libctf/ctf-create.c
+++ b/libctf/ctf-create.c
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ ctf_create (int *errp)
   fp->ctf_dtoldid = 0;
   fp->ctf_snapshots = 1;
   fp->ctf_snapshot_lu = 0;
+  fp->ctf_flags |= LCTF_DIRTY;
 
   ctf_set_ctl_hashes (fp);
   ctf_setmodel (fp, CTF_MODEL_NATIVE);