diff --git a/pandas/io/pytables.py b/pandas/io/pytables.py
index 4e25b546bddf2..c2653089c54f7 100644
--- a/pandas/io/pytables.py
+++ b/pandas/io/pytables.py
@@ -2989,7 +2989,6 @@ def data_orientation(self):
 
     def queryables(self):
         """ return a dict of the kinds allowable columns for this object """
-
         # compute the values_axes queryables
         return dict(
             [(a.cname, a) for a in self.index_axes] +
@@ -3090,6 +3089,13 @@ def validate_min_itemsize(self, min_itemsize):
             return
 
         q = self.queryables()
+
+        if  ('index' in min_itemsize) and ('index' not in q):  # issue #11364
+            for axname in self.index_axes:
+                #print("axname:" , axname.name)
+                min_itemsize[ axname.name ] = min_itemsize['index']
+            del min_itemsize['index'] 
+
         for k, v in min_itemsize.items():
 
             # ok, apply generally
@@ -3099,6 +3105,7 @@ def validate_min_itemsize(self, min_itemsize):
                 raise ValueError(
                     "min_itemsize has the key [%s] which is not an axis or "
                     "data_column" % k)
+        return min_itemsize
 
     @property
     def indexables(self):
@@ -3288,7 +3295,7 @@ def create_axes(self, axes, obj, validate=True, nan_rep=None,
 
         # map axes to numbers
         axes = [obj._get_axis_number(a) for a in axes]
-
+        
         # do we have an existing table (if so, use its axes & data_columns)
         if self.infer_axes():
             existing_table = self.copy()
@@ -3318,15 +3325,17 @@ def create_axes(self, axes, obj, validate=True, nan_rep=None,
 
         # create axes to index and non_index
         index_axes_map = dict()
+
         for i, a in enumerate(obj.axes):
 
             if i in axes:
-                name = obj._AXIS_NAMES[i]
+                name = getattr(obj, obj._AXIS_NAMES[i]).name  # obj._AXIS_NAMES[i]
+                if name is None:
+                    name = obj._AXIS_NAMES[i]
                 index_axes_map[i] = _convert_index(
                     a, self.encoding, self.format_type
                 ).set_name(name).set_axis(i)
             else:
-
                 # we might be able to change the axes on the appending data if
                 # necessary
                 append_axis = list(a)
@@ -3346,6 +3355,7 @@ def create_axes(self, axes, obj, validate=True, nan_rep=None,
 
                 self.non_index_axes.append((i, append_axis))
 
+
         # set axis positions (based on the axes)
         self.index_axes = [
             index_axes_map[a].set_pos(j).update_info(self.info)
@@ -3353,11 +3363,6 @@ def create_axes(self, axes, obj, validate=True, nan_rep=None,
         ]
         j = len(self.index_axes)
 
-        # check for column conflicts
-        if validate:
-            for a in self.axes:
-                a.maybe_set_size(min_itemsize=min_itemsize)
-
         # reindex by our non_index_axes & compute data_columns
         for a in self.non_index_axes:
             obj = _reindex_axis(obj, a[0], a[1])
@@ -3455,10 +3460,7 @@ def get_blk_items(mgr, blocks):
                     % (b.dtype.name, b_items, str(detail))
                 )
             j += 1
-
-        # validate our min_itemsize
-        self.validate_min_itemsize(min_itemsize)
-
+ 
         # validate our metadata
         self.validate_metadata(existing_table)
 
@@ -3466,6 +3468,15 @@ def get_blk_items(mgr, blocks):
         if validate:
             self.validate(existing_table)
 
+        # validate and correct our min_itemsize # issue #11364
+        min_itemsize = self.validate_min_itemsize(min_itemsize)
+
+       # check for column conflicts
+        if validate:
+            for a in self.axes:
+                a.maybe_set_size(min_itemsize=min_itemsize)
+
+
     def process_axes(self, obj, columns=None):
         """ process axes filters """
 
diff --git a/pandas/io/tests/test_hdf5_index_11364.py b/pandas/io/tests/test_hdf5_index_11364.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3f2b0e9277d63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pandas/io/tests/test_hdf5_index_11364.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import nose
+from nose import with_setup
+import pandas as pd
+import numpy as np
+import os, sys
+
+def create_test_file():
+    global xbed, xstore, xgroup
+    xbed = "testtable.tab"
+    xstore = 'tempstore.h5'
+    xgroup = "x"
+
+    col_nums = [0]
+    df = pd.DataFrame({"V1":["a","b","c","d","e", "aaaah!!!"], 
+                              "W":["c","d","c","d","c","c"],
+                              "ZZZ":np.arange(6)})
+    df.set_index(["V1","W"], inplace = True)
+    df.to_csv( xbed, sep = "\t")
+
+
+def clear_files():
+    os.remove(xbed)
+    os.remove(xstore)
+
+def write_hdf5_11364(indexcols):
+    sep = "\t"
+    chunksize=5
+    try:
+        os.remove(xstore)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+    # create a store
+    with pd.HDFStore(xstore) as store:
+        for nn, chunk in enumerate(pd.read_table(xbed, chunksize=chunksize, sep = sep, index_col= indexcols if not  indexcols==["index"] else 0)):
+            #print(chunk.index.names)
+            store.append(xgroup, chunk, format = "table", min_itemsize =  \
+                         #{"index":32} if len(indexcols)==1 else \
+                         dict(zip(chunk.index.names, [32]*len(chunk.index.names))))
+            print("chunk #" , nn, file = sys.stderr)
+
+    print("index columns:", indexcols, file = sys.stderr)
+    assert True
+
+def read_hdf5_11364(indexcols):
+    with pd.HDFStore(xstore) as store:
+        df = store.get(xgroup)
+        print(df.shape)
+    assert (df.shape==(6,3 - len(indexcols))), "wrong shape"
+
+@with_setup(create_test_file, clear_files )
+def test_write_read_hdf5_11364_indexcol():
+    indexcols = ["index"]
+    write_hdf5_11364(indexcols)
+    read_hdf5_11364(indexcols)
+    return
+
+@with_setup(create_test_file, clear_files )
+def test_write_read_hdf5_11364_1col():
+    indexcols =[0]
+    write_hdf5_11364(indexcols)
+    read_hdf5_11364(indexcols)
+    return
+
+@with_setup(create_test_file, clear_files )
+def test_write_read_hdf5_11364_2col():
+    indexcols =[0,1]
+    write_hdf5_11364(indexcols)
+    read_hdf5_11364(indexcols)
+    return
+
+