diff --git a/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m b/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m
index 40a7ebd51e7be3ac7fbfb54eb57cf16d353f0dde..da75ccc23d3497ea87fc4ea135d8d00b4a70ff0c 100644
--- a/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m
+++ b/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m
@@ -337,12 +337,18 @@ end
 % special treatment for model shot=-1 or preparation shot >=900'000
 begstr = '';
 if (iscell(mapping_for_tcv.expression) || isempty(strfind(mapping_for_tcv.expression,'\rtc::'))) && ...
-    ~isempty(shot) && (shot==-1 || (shot>=900000 && shot <= 999999 ) || liuqe_version==-1 ) &&  ...
-    isempty(findstr(mapping_for_tcv.expression,'tcv_eq'))
-  % requires FBTE (if tcv_eq in expression, liuqe target will be modified to FBTE below with regexprep)
+    ~isempty(shot) && (shot==-1 || (shot>=900000 && shot <= 999999 ) || liuqe_version==-1 )
+  % requires FBTE
   liuqe_version_eff = -1;
-  begstr = 'tcv_eq( "';
-  substr_liuqe = '", "FBTE" )';
+  liuqe_version = -1;
+  if isempty(findstr(mapping_for_tcv.expression,'tcv_eq'))
+    % if tcv_eq in expression, liuqe target will be modified to FBTE below with regexprep
+    begstr = 'tcv_eq( "';
+    substr_liuqe = '", "FBTE" )';
+  else
+    begstr = '';
+    substr_liuqe = '';
+  end
 end
 
 % should replace all above by just psitbx_str...