diff --git a/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m b/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m
index 58d292a6249422504cf6922913d26ea092674aaf..93b3ba7f4c2ac0d0ad19567341fe195d9b32a71d 100644
--- a/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m
+++ b/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m
@@ -1308,12 +1308,10 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_aug.method,'switchcase')
                     {'Ar_tot','Sum of calibrated Ar gas-fluxes (= Ar*18/s)'}];
     for i=1:size(uvs_signals_source,1)
       uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}) = gdat_aug(shot,{'UVS',uvs_signals_source{i,1}});
-      if isempty(gdat_data.t) && prod(isfinite(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).t)) && isvector(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).t) ...
-          && numel(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).t)>10
+      if isempty(gdat_data.t) && numel(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).t)>10
         gdat_data.t = uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).t; % all have same time base, could use time signal
       end
-      if prod(isfinite(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).data)) && isvector(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).data) ...
-          && numel(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).data) == numel(gdat_data.t);
+      if ~isempty(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).data) && numel(uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).data) == numel(gdat_data.t);
         gdat_data.data(i,:) = uvs_signals.(uvs_signals_source{i,1}).data; % all have same time base
       else
         gdat_data.data(i,:) = NaN;
@@ -1356,12 +1354,10 @@ elseif strcmp(mapping_for_aug.method,'switchcase')
 
     for i=1:size(uvd_signals_source,1)
       uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}) = gdat_aug(shot,{'UVD',uvd_signals_source{i,1}});
-      if isempty(gdat_data.pvxx.t) && prod(isfinite(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).t)) && isvector(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).t) ...
-          && numel(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).t)>10
+      if isempty(gdat_data.pvxx.t) && numel(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).t)>10
         gdat_data.pvxx.t = uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).t; % all have same time base
       end
-      if prod(isfinite(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).data)) && isvector(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).data) ...
-          && numel(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).data) == numel(gdat_data.pvxx.t);
+      if ~isempty(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).data) && numel(uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).data) == numel(gdat_data.pvxx.t);
         gdat_data.pvxx.data(i,:) = uvd_signals.(uvd_signals_source{i,2}).data; % all have same time base
       else
         gdat_data.pvxx.data(i,:) = NaN;
diff --git a/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m b/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m
index b2a647ea349bfd8e78ba00f314713e91dfb7fd93..f84e5af6e1d8c7cddd2aba19914432871b9abce0 100644
--- a/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m
+++ b/matlab/TCV/gdat_tcv.m
@@ -353,9 +353,7 @@ if do_mdsopen_mdsclose
     [ishot,shot_stat] = mdsopen(shot); % if ishot equal to shot, then mdsclose at the end
   end
   if mod(shot_stat,2)==0
-    ishot
-    warning('error opening shot');
-    if gdat_params.nverbose>=1; warning(['cannot open shot= ' num2str(shot)]); end
+    if gdat_params.nverbose>=1; warning('error opening shot %d. Value returned:%d',shot,ishot); end
     return
   end
 end
diff --git a/matlab/gdat_plot.m b/matlab/gdat_plot.m
index acd7768c9036a4501c6ab3e8aab5e69d85f6fcbb..d2a1edeb49a5d93db3dc6bc519a93d9c05180bde 100644
--- a/matlab/gdat_plot.m
+++ b/matlab/gdat_plot.m
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ if all(isfield(gdat_data,{'data','t'})) && ~isempty(gdat_data.data) && ~isempty(
       elseif numel(ab)==numel(gdat_data.label)
         hhhleg=legend(gdat_data.label);
       end
-      if exist('hhhleg'), set(hhhleg,'Interpreter','none'); end
+      if exist('hhhleg','var'), set(hhhleg,'Interpreter','none'); end
     else
       % assume one line per call
       if isempty(gdat_data.label)