diff --git a/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m b/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m
index 1b9a19ee3239718a3b75bab2ca3795cca0fe156f..3ae36d18548e769f6137de5bd55790c1474094ff 100644
--- a/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m
+++ b/matlab/AUG/gdat_aug.m
@@ -364,7 +364,11 @@ if strcmp(mapping_for_aug.method,'signal')
       % assume area-base is main 2nd coordinate (did not find a case with 2 area-base (2 coordinates defined in addition to time) to be able to test)
       i_x = setdiff([1:2],itime);
       aatmp.dim{i_x} = aatmp.x;
-      aatmp.dimunits(i_x) = aatmp.area.unit;
+      if ~isempty(aatmp.area) && isfield(aatmp.area,'unit')
+        aatmp.dimunits(i_x) = aatmp.area.unit;
+      else
+        aatmp.dimunits(i_x) = {''};
+      end
       if isempty(aatmp.dimunits{i_x}); aatmp.dimunits{i_x} = ''; end
       for i=3:nbdims_eff
         aatmp.dim{i} = [1:size(aatmp.data,i)];