diff --git a/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DaskDataFrame.py b/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DaskDataFrame.py
index 40a42f7b78..926879fd66 100644
--- a/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DaskDataFrame.py
+++ b/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DaskDataFrame.py
@@ -87,4 +87,11 @@ def particles_to_daskdataframe(particle_species):
     ]
     df = dd.from_delayed(dfs)
 
+    # set a header for the first column (row index)
+    #   note: this is NOT the particle id
+    # TODO both these do not work:
+    #   https://github.com/dask/dask/issues/10440
+    # df.index.name = "row"
+    # df.index = df.index.rename("row")
+
     return df
diff --git a/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DataFrame.py b/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DataFrame.py
index 710d6810e7..1248136a5a 100644
--- a/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DataFrame.py
+++ b/src/binding/python/openpmd_api/DataFrame.py
@@ -67,4 +67,10 @@ def particles_to_dataframe(particle_species, slice=None):
                 columns[column_name] = np.multiply(
                     columns[column_name], rc.unit_SI)
 
-    return pd.DataFrame(columns)
+    df = pd.DataFrame(columns)
+
+    # set a header for the first column (row index)
+    #   note: this is NOT the particle id
+    df.index.name = "row"
+
+    return df