diff --git a/cvpack/reporting/custom_writer.py b/cvpack/reporting/custom_writer.py
index 48859e34..caea4c8d 100644
--- a/cvpack/reporting/custom_writer.py
+++ b/cvpack/reporting/custom_writer.py
@@ -18,11 +18,22 @@ class CustomWriter(t.Protocol):
     An abstract class for StateDataReporter writers
     """
 
+    def initialize(self, context: mm.Context) -> None:
+        """
+        Initializes the writer. This method is called before the first report and
+        can be used to perform any necessary setup.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        context
+            The context object.
+        """
+
     def getHeaders(self) -> t.List[str]:
         """
         Gets a list of strigs containing the headers to be added to the report.
         """
-        raise NotImplementedError("Method getHeaders not implemented")
+        raise NotImplementedError("Method 'getHeaders' not implemented")
 
     def getValues(self, context: mm.Context) -> t.List[float]:
         """
@@ -35,4 +46,4 @@ def getValues(self, context: mm.Context) -> t.List[float]:
         state
             The state object.
         """
-        raise NotImplementedError("Method getValues not implemented")
+        raise NotImplementedError("Method 'getValues' not implemented")
diff --git a/cvpack/reporting/state_data_reporter.py b/cvpack/reporting/state_data_reporter.py
index 1923638d..e3cdb5b4 100644
--- a/cvpack/reporting/state_data_reporter.py
+++ b/cvpack/reporting/state_data_reporter.py
@@ -24,24 +24,32 @@ class StateDataReporter(mmapp.StateDataReporter):
     .. _openmm.app.StateDataReporter: http://docs.openmm.org/latest/api-python/
         generated/openmm.app.statedatareporter.StateDataReporter.html
 
-    A custom writer is an object that includes the methods two particular methods.
-    The first one is ``getHeaders``, which returns a list of strings containing the
-    headers to be added to the report. It has the following signature:
+    A custom writer is an object that includes the following methods:
+
+    1. **getHeaders**: returns a list of strings containing the headers to be added
+       to the report. It must have the following signature:
 
     .. code-block::
 
         def getHeaders(self) -> List[str]:
             pass
 
-    The second method is ``getValues``, which accepts an :OpenMM:`Context` as
-    argument and returns a list of floats containing the values to be added to the
-    report. It has the following signature:
+    2. **getValues**: returns a list of floats containing the values to be added to
+       the report at a given time step. It must have the following signature:
 
     .. code-block::
 
         def getValues(self, context: openmm.Context) -> List[float]:
             pass
 
+    3. **initialize** (optional): performs any necessary setup before the first report.
+       If present, it must have the following signature:
+
+    .. code-block::
+
+        def initialize(self, context: openmm.Context) -> None:
+            pass
+
     Parameters
     ----------
     file
@@ -133,6 +141,12 @@ def _expand(self, sequence: list, addition: t.Iterable) -> list:
         pos = len(sequence) - self._back_steps
         return sum(addition, sequence[:pos]) + sequence[pos:]
 
+    def _initializeConstants(self, simulation: mmapp.Simulation) -> None:
+        super()._initializeConstants(simulation)
+        for writer in self._writers:
+            if hasattr(writer, "initialize"):
+                writer.initialize(simulation.context)
+
     def _constructHeaders(self) -> t.List[str]:
         return self._expand(
             super()._constructHeaders(),