diff --git a/data/statistics.out.good b/data/statistics.out.good
index a564714b9..f7939dba8 100644
--- a/data/statistics.out.good
+++ b/data/statistics.out.good
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
+Will set values...
 values=2 2 2 2
 max=2 min=2 average=2
+max=2 min=2 average=2
+Will set values...
 values=2 5 2 2
 max=5 min=2 average=2.75
diff --git a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_dirty.cc b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_dirty.cc
index 73f11c9d7..80c51835e 100644
--- a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_dirty.cc
+++ b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_dirty.cc
@@ -30,9 +30,10 @@ int grib_accessor_class_dirty_t::pack_long(grib_accessor* a, const long* val, si
     grib_accessor_dirty_t* self = (grib_accessor_dirty_t*)a;
     grib_accessor* x            = grib_find_accessor(grib_handle_of_accessor(a), self->accessor);
 
-    if (x)
+    if (x) {
+        //printf("\ngrib_accessor_class_dirty_t::pack_long: Setting dirty to %ld on %s\n", *val, x->name);
         x->dirty = *val;
-
+    }
     return GRIB_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -41,10 +42,11 @@ int grib_accessor_class_dirty_t::unpack_long(grib_accessor* a, long* val, size_t
     grib_accessor_dirty_t* self = (grib_accessor_dirty_t*)a;
     grib_accessor* x            = grib_find_accessor(grib_handle_of_accessor(a), self->accessor);
 
-    if (x)
-        x->dirty = 1;
-
-    *val = 1;
-
+    if (x) {
+        //printf("\ngrib_accessor_class_dirty_t::unpack_long: Getting dirty for %s\n", x->name);
+        *val = x->dirty;
+    } else {
+        *val = 1;
+    }
     return GRIB_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_statistics.cc b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_statistics.cc
index 1e56f8a12..7e4a4eca8 100644
--- a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_statistics.cc
+++ b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_statistics.cc
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ int grib_accessor_class_statistics_t::unpack_double(grib_accessor* a, double* va
             avg += value;
         }
     }
-    /*printf("stats.......... number_of_missing=%ld\n", number_of_missing);*/
+
     /* Don't divide by zero if all values are missing! */
     if (size != number_of_missing) {
         avg /= (size - number_of_missing);
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ int grib_accessor_class_statistics_t::unpack_double(grib_accessor* a, double* va
         skew = m3 / (sd * sd * sd);
         kurt = m4 / (m2 * m2) - 3.0;
     }
+
+    //printf("\ngrib_accessor_class_statistics_t::unpack_double   Computed. So setting dirty to 0....... \n");
     a->dirty = 0;
 
     grib_context_free(c, values);
diff --git a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_vector.cc b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_vector.cc
index f08809f6f..a5def256f 100644
--- a/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_vector.cc
+++ b/src/accessor/grib_accessor_class_vector.cc
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ int grib_accessor_class_vector_t::unpack_double(grib_accessor* a, double* val, s
     }
 
     if (va->dirty) {
+        //printf("\ngrib_accessor_class_vector_t::unpack_double  accessor=%s is DIRTY\n",a->name);
         grib_get_size(grib_handle_of_accessor(a), self->vector, &size);
         stat = (double*)grib_context_malloc_clear(a->context, sizeof(double) * size);
         err  = va->unpack_double(stat, &size);
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ int grib_accessor_class_vector_t::unpack_double(grib_accessor* a, double* val, s
         if (err)
             return err;
     }
+    else {
+        //printf("\ngrib_accessor_class_vector_t::unpack_double  accessor=%s is CLEAN\n",a->name);
+    }
 
     *val = v->v[self->index];
 
diff --git a/tests/grib_statistics.sh b/tests/grib_statistics.sh
index 6863d591a..9cf7719e3 100755
--- a/tests/grib_statistics.sh
+++ b/tests/grib_statistics.sh
@@ -18,16 +18,28 @@ files="regular_latlon_surface.grib2 regular_latlon_surface.grib1"
 
 for file in $files; do
 
+# Note: When we get min,max etc for the 1st time, dirty_statistics is 1
+# so the statistics accessor will decode the data values (because dirty_statistics==1)
+# Once it is finished, it sets dirty_statistics to 0.
+# If you get min,max again, no computation is done (because dirty_statistics==0)
+# But once the data values are changed, then dirty_statistics is once again 1
 cat >statistics.filter<<EOF
- set Ni=2;
- set Nj=2;
- set decimalPrecision=4;
- set values={2.0,2.0,2.0,2.0};
- print "values=[values]";
- print "max=[max] min=[min] average=[average]";
- set values={2.0,5.0,2.0,2.0};
- print "values=[values]";
- print "max=[max] min=[min] average=[average]";
+    set Ni=2;
+    set Nj=2;
+    set decimalPrecision=4;
+    print "Will set values...";
+    set values={2.0,2.0,2.0,2.0};
+    assert(dirty_statistics == 1);
+    print "values=[values]";
+    print "max=[max] min=[min] average=[average]";
+    assert(dirty_statistics == 0);
+    print "max=[max] min=[min] average=[average]";
+    print "Will set values...";
+    set values={2.0,5.0,2.0,2.0};
+    assert(dirty_statistics == 1);
+    print "values=[values]";
+    print "max=[max] min=[min] average=[average]";
+    assert(dirty_statistics == 0);
 EOF
 
 ${tools_dir}/grib_filter statistics.filter ${data_dir}/$file > statistics.out