diff --git a/crpptbx/AUG/loadAUGdata.m b/crpptbx/AUG/loadAUGdata.m
index 8b6d3c4fa4d3cf2f8d8e577430516e93d7bcf863..ce94c68715852c529a5eba497a0239ae10b862ad 100644
--- a/crpptbx/AUG/loadAUGdata.m
+++ b/crpptbx/AUG/loadAUGdata.m
@@ -412,17 +412,29 @@ switch AUGkeywrdcase{index}
 	trace_all.data(ichord,:) = a.data;
       end
     end
-    trace_all.dim=[{[starti:endi]'} ; {trace.t}];
-    trace = trace_all;
-    trace.x=trace.dim{1};
-    trace.dimunits=[{'channels'} ; {'time [s]'}];
-    trace.units='W/m^2';
-    trace.name=[num2str(shot) '/' ppftype '/' tracename];
-    % keep only nth points
-    trace.t=trace.t(1:nth:end);
-    trace.data=trace.data(:,1:nth:end);
-    trace.dim{2}=trace.t;
-
+    if ~isempty(trace_all)
+      trace_all.dim=[{[starti:endi]'} ; {trace.t}];
+      trace = trace_all;
+      trace.x=trace.dim{1};
+      trace.dimunits=[{'channels'} ; {'time [s]'}];
+      trace.units='W/m^2';
+      trace.name=[num2str(shot) '/' ppftype '/' tracename];
+      % keep only nth points
+      trace.t=trace.t(1:nth:end);
+      trace.data=trace.data(:,1:nth:end);
+      trace.dim{2}=trace.t;
+      trace.value=trace.value(:,1:nth:end);
+      trace.time_aug.value=trace.time_aug.value(1:nth:end);
+    else
+      trace.data = [];
+      trace.dim = [];
+      trace.dimunits = [];
+      trace.x = [];
+      trace.t = [];
+      trace.units = [];
+      trace.name=[num2str(shot) '/' ppftype '/' tracename];
+    end
+    
   %&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
   case {'te', 'ne'}
 
diff --git a/crpptbx/gdat.m b/crpptbx/gdat.m
index 3627523f86f21f5fc2b252058a8357da721f4308..b900d8b8956b276801e78112614b36930a384bf8 100644
--- a/crpptbx/gdat.m
+++ b/crpptbx/gdat.m
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function [trace,error,varargout] = gdat(shot,data_type,varargin)
 % 'ece'  =  electron cyclotron emission
 % 'sxr'  =  soft x-ray emission 
 % 'sxR'  =  soft x-ray emission with varargout{1} option (requires varargin{5}!)
+% 'Halpha' = H(D)-alpha trace
 %
 % specific to TCV (see help loadTCVdata for more information)
 % 'xx_2 or xx_3' for Liuqe2 or 3: same as above for xx related to equilibrium