diff --git a/crpptbx/TCV/loadTCVdata.m b/crpptbx/TCV/loadTCVdata.m
index 95954baedf909f08987bda41045e7bbc89bfe9f0..1dbaf9dd9f310506960bdc0357fcfc05c97f3696 100644
--- a/crpptbx/TCV/loadTCVdata.m
+++ b/crpptbx/TCV/loadTCVdata.m
@@ -97,7 +97,11 @@ varargout{1}=cell(1,1);
 error=1;
 
 % To allow multiple ways of writing a specific keyword, use data_type_eff within this routine
-data_type_eff=data_type;
+if exist('data_type') && ~isempty(data_type)
+  data_type_eff=data_type;
+else
+  data_type_eff=' ';
+end
 i_23=0;
 % LIUQE tree
 begstr = '\results::';
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ if ~isempty(jj)
 else
   data_type_eff_noext=data_type_eff(1:end-i_23);
 end
+
 if ~isempty(strmatch(data_type_eff_noext,[{'ip'} {'i_p'} {'xip'}],'exact'))
   data_type_eff_noext='Ip';
 end