diff --git a/1_preprocessing/gtSetup.m b/1_preprocessing/gtSetup.m
index 7f66633e4f00841bf8a5cc31debf5f3428675e61..ed5d3e4f805682b0274c468a2994b57465c17300 100644
--- a/1_preprocessing/gtSetup.m
+++ b/1_preprocessing/gtSetup.m
@@ -213,15 +213,15 @@ catch mexc
     end
 end
 % update energy field from updated xml file
-params_xml.energy = tmpxml.acquisition.energy;
-parameters.acq = gtAddMatFile(parameters.acq,params_xml,true,true,false);
+if ~isempty(tmpxml)
+    params_xml.energy = tmpxml.acquisition.energy;
+    parameters.acq = gtAddMatFile(parameters.acq,params_xml,true,true,false);
+end
 clear params_xml
 
-
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 % Default acquisition parameters 
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
-
 params_acq = gtAcqDefaultParameters(parameters.acq);
 parameters.acq = gtAddMatFile(parameters.acq,params_acq,true,true,false);
 clear params_acq