diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.c b/src/obidmscolumn.c
index 3f00fc9..f8cd66d 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.c
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ OBIDMS_column_p obi_create_column(OBIDMS_p     dms,
 			return NULL;
 		}
 	}
-	else if ((nb_elements_per_line == 1) && (strcmp(elements_names, column_name) != 0))
+	else if ((nb_elements_per_line == 1) && (strcmp(elements_names, column_name) != 0))		// TODO Discuss, maybe just make it the column name
 	{
 		obidebug(1, "\nCan't create column because the element name does not match the column name");
 		return NULL;
@@ -1126,6 +1126,29 @@ int obi_close_column(OBIDMS_column_p column)
 }
 
 
+int obi_clone_column_indexer(OBIDMS_column_p column)
+{
+	char* new_indexer_name;
+
+	new_indexer_name = obi_build_indexer_name((column->header)->name, (column->header)->version);
+	if (new_indexer_name == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	column->indexer = obi_clone_indexer(column->indexer, new_indexer_name);	// TODO Need to lock this somehow?
+	if (column->indexer == NULL)
+	{
+		obidebug(1, "\nError cloning a column's indexer to make it writable");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	strcpy((column->header)->indexer_name, new_indexer_name);
+
+	free(new_indexer_name);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 int obi_truncate_column(OBIDMS_column_p column)	// TODO is it necessary to unmap/remap?
 {
 	size_t  file_size;
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.h b/src/obidmscolumn.h
index 4ecbcf7..ee075c9 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.h
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.h
@@ -237,6 +237,20 @@ OBIDMS_column_p obi_open_column(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name, obiversio
 OBIDMS_column_p obi_clone_column(OBIDMS_p dms, OBIDMS_column_p line_selection, const char* column_name, obiversion_t version_number, bool clone_data);
 
 
+/**
+ * @brief Clones a column indexer to have it writable.
+ *
+ * @param column A pointer on an OBIDMS column.
+ *
+ * @retval 0 if the operation was successfully completed.
+ * @retval -1 if an error occurred.
+ *
+ * @since November 2016
+ * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
+ */
+int obi_clone_column_indexer(OBIDMS_column_p column);
+
+
 /**
  * @brief Truncates a column to the number of lines used if it is not read-only and closes it.
  *
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn_str.c b/src/obidmscolumn_str.c
index c092323..872f045 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn_str.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn_str.c
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 int obi_column_set_obistr_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb, index_t element_idx, const char* value)
 {
 	index_t idx;
-	char*   new_indexer_name;
 
 	if (obi_column_prepare_to_set_value(column, line_nb) < 0)
 		return -1;
@@ -44,14 +43,9 @@ int obi_column_set_obistr_with_elt_idx(OBIDMS_column_p column, index_t line_nb,
 		{
 			if (obi_errno == OBI_READ_ONLY_INDEXER_ERROR)
 			{
-				// TODO PUT IN A COLUMN FUNCTION
 				// If the error is that the indexer is read-only, clone it
-				new_indexer_name = obi_build_indexer_name((column->header)->name, (column->header)->version);
-				if (new_indexer_name == NULL)
+				if (obi_clone_column_indexer(column) < 0)
 					return -1;
-				column->indexer = obi_clone_indexer(column->indexer, new_indexer_name);	// TODO Need to lock this somehow?
-				strcpy((column->header)->indexer_name, new_indexer_name);
-				free(new_indexer_name);
 				obi_set_errno(0);
 
 				// Add the value in the new indexer