diff --git a/mne_nirs/io/snirf/_snirf.py b/mne_nirs/io/snirf/_snirf.py
index e21554de0..83e2f3ff9 100644
--- a/mne_nirs/io/snirf/_snirf.py
+++ b/mne_nirs/io/snirf/_snirf.py
@@ -98,7 +98,12 @@ def _add_metadata_tags(raw, nirs):
     metadata_tags.create_dataset("MeasurementTime", data=_str_encode(timestr))
 
     # Store demographic info
-    subject_id = raw.info["subject_info"]["first_name"]
+    subject_id = "_".join(
+        raw.info["subject_info"][key]
+        for key in ["first_name", "middle_name", "last_name"]
+        if key in raw.info["subject_info"]
+    )
+    subject_id = raw.info["subject_info"].get("his_id", subject_id)
     metadata_tags.create_dataset("SubjectID", data=_str_encode(subject_id))
 
     # Store the units of measurement
@@ -111,12 +116,10 @@ def _add_metadata_tags(raw, nirs):
         birthday = datetime.date(*raw.info["subject_info"]["birthday"])
         birthstr = birthday.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
         metadata_tags.create_dataset("DateOfBirth", data=[_str_encode(birthstr)])
-    if "middle_name" in raw.info["subject_info"]:
-        middle_name = raw.info["subject_info"]["middle_name"]
-        metadata_tags.create_dataset("middleName", data=[_str_encode(middle_name)])
-    if "last_name" in raw.info["subject_info"]:
-        last_name = raw.info["subject_info"]["last_name"]
-        metadata_tags.create_dataset("lastName", data=[_str_encode(last_name)])
+    for key in ("first", "middle", "last"):
+        name = raw.info["subject_info"].get(f"{key}_name", None)
+        if name is not None:
+            metadata_tags.create_dataset(f"{key}Name", data=[_str_encode(name)])
     if "sex" in raw.info["subject_info"]:
         sex = str(int(raw.info["subject_info"]["sex"]))
         metadata_tags.create_dataset("sex", data=[_str_encode(sex)])
diff --git a/mne_nirs/io/snirf/tests/test_snirf.py b/mne_nirs/io/snirf/tests/test_snirf.py
index 18f4df109..ff36c8daf 100644
--- a/mne_nirs/io/snirf/tests/test_snirf.py
+++ b/mne_nirs/io/snirf/tests/test_snirf.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from mne.datasets.testing import data_path, requires_testing_data
 from mne.io import read_raw_nirx, read_raw_snirf
 from mne.preprocessing.nirs import beer_lambert_law, optical_density
-from mne.utils import object_diff
+from mne.utils import check_version, object_diff
 from numpy.testing import assert_allclose, assert_array_equal
 from snirf import Snirf, validateSnirf
 
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 pytest.importorskip("h5py")
 
+MNE_1_7 = check_version("mne", "1.7")
+
 
 @requires_testing_data
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -38,9 +40,23 @@
 def test_snirf_write_raw(fname, tmpdir):
     """Test reading NIRX files."""
     raw_orig = read_raw_nirx(fname, preload=True)
+    subj_info = raw_orig.info["subject_info"]
+    his_id = "_".join(  # this is how MNE-Python creates his_id for NIRX files
+        subj_info[key]
+        for key in ("first_name", "middle_name", "last_name")
+        if key in subj_info
+    )
+    assert raw_orig.info["subject_info"]["his_id"] == his_id
     test_file = tmpdir.join("test_raw.snirf")
     write_raw_snirf(raw_orig, test_file)
-    raw = read_raw_snirf(test_file)
+    raw = read_raw_snirf(test_file, preload=True)
+    # Correct MNE bug with reading
+    subj_info = raw.info["subject_info"]
+    if not MNE_1_7:
+        subj_info["first_name"] = subj_info["first_name"].split("_")[0]
+        assert "his_id" not in subj_info
+        subj_info["his_id"] = his_id
+    assert subj_info["his_id"] == his_id
 
     result = validateSnirf(str(test_file))
     if result.is_valid():
@@ -81,6 +97,15 @@ def test_snirf_write_raw(fname, tmpdir):
     _verify_snirf_required_fields(test_file)
     _verify_snirf_version_str(test_file)
 
+    # make sure one can be written and read with no his_id (e.g., old MNE-Python)
+    del raw.info["subject_info"]["his_id"]
+    write_raw_snirf(raw, test_file)
+    raw = read_raw_snirf(test_file)
+    if MNE_1_7:
+        assert raw.info["subject_info"]["his_id"] == his_id
+    else:
+        assert raw.info["subject_info"]["first_name"] == his_id
+
 
 @requires_testing_data
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(