diff --git a/apeer_ometiff_library/io.py b/apeer_ometiff_library/io.py
index 956b537..3f11c1b 100755
--- a/apeer_ometiff_library/io.py
+++ b/apeer_ometiff_library/io.py
@@ -231,11 +231,8 @@ def write_ometiff(output_path, array, omexml_string = None, compression=None):
     if omexml_string is None:
         omexml_string = gen_xml(array)
 
-    try:
-        tifffile.imwrite(output_path, array,  photometric = "minisblack", description=omexml_string, metadata=None,
-                         compress=compression)
-    except struct.error:
-        tifffile.imwrite(output_path, array,  photometric = "minisblack", description=omexml_string, metadata=None,
-                         compress=compression, bigtiff=True)
-
-
+    data_limit_nbytes = 2 ** 32
+    tiff_metadata_nbytes = 2 ** 25
+    bigtiff = array.nbytes > data_limit_nbytes - tiff_metadata_nbytes
+    tifffile.imwrite(output_path, array, photometric="minisblack", description=omexml_string, metadata=None,
+                     compress=compression, bigtiff=bigtiff)