diff --git a/matlab/dynare_estimation_init.m b/matlab/dynare_estimation_init.m
index 46fdd4a5da1f4af10f3591b5d841c40b9b3ba22f..b28b4aeec27179f19265bc75477b7d931aa054ab 100644
--- a/matlab/dynare_estimation_init.m
+++ b/matlab/dynare_estimation_init.m
@@ -331,10 +331,11 @@ end
 xls.sheet = options_.xls_sheet;
 xls.range = options_.xls_range;
 
-dataset_ = initialize_dataset(options_.datafile,options_.varobs,options_.first_obs,options_.nobs,transformation,options_.prefilter,xls);
-
-options_.nobs = dataset_.info.ntobs;
+if ~isfield(options_,'nobs')
+    options_.nobs = [];
+end
 
+dataset_ = initialize_dataset(options_.datafile,options_.varobs,options_.first_obs,options_.nobs,transformation,options_.prefilter,xls);
 
 % $$$ rawdata = read_variables(options_.datafile,options_.varobs,[],options_.xls_sheet,options_.xls_range);
 % $$$ % Set the number of observations (nobs) and build a subsample between first_obs and nobs.
diff --git a/matlab/global_initialization.m b/matlab/global_initialization.m
index ab7fd862abc1ece75dd479fa270cbb643bc836c9..053fdddc9379ab3faa066a196c90c0e1ea1a0074 100644
--- a/matlab/global_initialization.m
+++ b/matlab/global_initialization.m
@@ -212,7 +212,6 @@ options_.filter_covariance = 0;
 options_.filter_decomposition = 0;
 options_.selected_variables_only = 0;
 options_.initialize_estimated_parameters_with_the_prior_mode = 0;
-options_.nobs = [];
 % Misc
 options_.conf_sig = 0.6;
 oo_.exo_simul = [];