This invention provides a design for spirally wound electrochemical cells which improves their safety during abuse such as voltage reversal. The invention comprises coupling a first segment of inert conductive metal to the cathode and a dendrite target comprised of an inert conductive metal to the anode. When these electrodes are spirally wound together the two segments of inert conductive metal face each other, held in physical separation by the separator, whereby during voltage reversal a dendrite grows from said first segment to said dendrite target.