diff --git a/matlab/load_m_file_data.m b/matlab/load_m_file_data.m
index 5410c7772559008c6b086c237be8411aa5b4057b..6b39902d4d52d5812dda3a4f6725d0698b75f176 100644
--- a/matlab/load_m_file_data.m
+++ b/matlab/load_m_file_data.m
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ if exist('FREQ__','var')
     freq = FREQ__;
     clear('FREQ__');
 else
-    freq = 1;
+    freq = init.freq;
 end
 
 if ~isequal(freq,init.freq)
diff --git a/matlab/load_mat_file_data.m b/matlab/load_mat_file_data.m
index 401d63487f379e1c97a4baeb4f5324732f971b2e..fc00a8e688247b4170eba2e13ff62bce415ca57e 100644
--- a/matlab/load_mat_file_data.m
+++ b/matlab/load_mat_file_data.m
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ if isfield(datafile,'FREQ__')
     freq = datafile.FREQ__;
     datafile = rmfield(datafile, 'FREQ__');
 else
-    freq = 1;
+    freq = init.freq;
 end
 
 if ~isequal(freq,init.freq)