diff --git a/include/openmc/plot.h b/include/openmc/plot.h
index 54035fd85..a3b5ee4d8 100644
--- a/include/openmc/plot.h
+++ b/include/openmc/plot.h
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ enum class PlotColorBy {
 class PlotBase {
  public:
   IdData get_id_map() const;
+  xt::xtensor<int32_t, 2> get_cell_ids() const;
+
   PropertyData get_property_map() const;
 
  private:
diff --git a/src/plot.cpp b/src/plot.cpp
index e1bc37657..76af0da97 100644
--- a/src/plot.cpp
+++ b/src/plot.cpp
@@ -711,6 +711,11 @@ IdData PlotBase::get_id_map() const {
   return generate_data<IdData>();
 }
 
+xt::xtensor<int32_t, 2> PlotBase::get_cell_ids() const {
+  auto ids = get_id_map();
+  return xt::flip(xt::view(ids.data, xt::all(), xt::all(), 0), 0);
+}
+
 PropertyData PlotBase::get_property_map() const {
   return generate_data<PropertyData>();
 }
@@ -965,30 +970,23 @@ void create_voxel(Plot pl)
   int id;
   for (int z = 0; z < pl.pixels_[2]; z++) {
     pb.set_value(100.*(double)z/(double)(pl.pixels_[2]-1));
-    for (int y = 0; y < pl.pixels_[1]; y++) {
-      for (int x = 0; x < pl.pixels_[0]; x++) {
-        // get voxel color
-        position_rgb(p, pl, rgb, id);
-        // write to plot data
-        data[y][x] = id;
-        // advance particle in x direction
-        p.r().x += vox[0];
-      }
-      // advance particle in y direction
-      p.r().y += vox[1];
-      p.r().x = ll[0];
-    }
-    // advance particle in z direction
-    p.r().z += vox[2];
-    p.r().y = ll[1];
-    p.r().x = ll[0];
+    PlotBase pltbase;
+    pltbase.width_ = pl.width_;
+    pltbase.origin_ = pl.origin_;
+    pltbase.basis_ = PlotBasis::xy;
+    pltbase.pixels_ = pl.pixels_;
+    pltbase.level_ = pl.level_;
+
+    pl.origin_.z += ll.z + z * vox[2];
+
+    auto data = pltbase.get_cell_ids();
+
     // Write to HDF5 dataset
-    voxel_write_slice(z, dspace, dset, memspace, &(data[0]));
+    voxel_write_slice(z, dspace, dset, memspace, &(data(0,0)));
   }
 
   voxel_finalize(dspace, dset, memspace);
   file_close(file_id);
-
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/plot/plots.xml b/tests/regression_tests/plot/plots.xml
index ecfe69125..078666e75 100644
--- a/tests/regression_tests/plot/plots.xml
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/plot/plots.xml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   </plot>
 
   <plot id="4" type="voxel">
-    <pixels>100 100 10</pixels>
+    <pixels>500 500 500</pixels>
     <origin>0. 0. 0.</origin>
     <width>20 20 10</width>
   </plot>