diff --git a/src/read/load_data.m b/src/read/load_data.m
index 01e33b7cf0b879b4ba64272914143b574a31c77f..3e92e4ce605eaf43d015f90fa7fa6b20aabc36c0 100644
--- a/src/read/load_data.m
+++ b/src/read/load_data.m
@@ -26,31 +26,31 @@ function [init, data, varlist, tex, ops, tags] = load_data(filename)
 
 if ~nargin || ~ischar(filename) || isempty(filename)
     error('dseries:load_data: Input argument cannot be an empty string!')
-elseif check_file_extension(filename,'m')
+elseif check_file_extension(filename(1,:),'m')
     [~, init, data, varlist, tex, ops, tags] = load_m_file_data(filename);
-elseif check_file_extension(filename,'mat')
+elseif check_file_extension(filename(1,:),'mat')
     [~, init, data, varlist, tex, ops, tags] = load_mat_file_data(filename);
-elseif check_file_extension(filename,'csv')
+elseif check_file_extension(filename(1,:),'csv')
     [~, init, data, varlist] = load_csv_file_data(filename);
     tex = [];
     ops = cell(length(varlist), 1);
     tags = struct();
-elseif check_file_extension(filename,'xls') || check_file_extension(filename,'xlsx')
-    if isglobalinbase('options_')
-        % Check that the object is instantiated within a dynare session so that options_ global structure exists.
-        % Should provide latter a mechanism to pass range and sheet to dseries constructor...
-        range = evalin('base','options_.xls_range');
-        sheet = evalin('base','options_.xls_sheet');
+elseif check_file_extension(filename(1,:),'xls') || check_file_extension(filename(1,:),'xlsx')
+    if ~isempty(deblank(filename(2,:)))
+        sheet = deblank(filename(2,:));
     else
-        % By default only the (whole) first sheet is loaded.
-        range = [];
         sheet = [];
     end
-    [~, init, data, varlist] = load_xls_file_data(filename, sheet, range);
+    if ~isempty(deblank(filename(3,:)))
+        range = deblank(filename(3,:));
+    else
+        range = [];
+    end
+    [~, init, data, varlist] = load_xls_file_data(deblank(filename(1,:)), sheet, range);
     tex = [];
     ops = cell(length(varlist), 1);
     tags = struct();
-elseif check_file_extension(filename,'db')
+elseif check_file_extension(filename(1,:),'db')
     % Fame database (need to have matlab-fame-io submodule and TimeIQ installed)
     FameInfo = fame.open.connector();
     db = fame.open.database(FameInfo, filename);
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ elseif check_file_extension(filename,'db')
     ops = cell(length(varlist), 1);
     tags = struct();
 else
-    error('dseries:WrongInputArguments', 'I''m not able to load data from %s!', filename);
+    error('dseries:WrongInputArguments', 'I''m not able to load data from %s!', filename(1,:));
 end
 
 if isempty(tex)
diff --git a/src/utilities/file/check_file_extension.m b/src/utilities/file/check_file_extension.m
index 98fd0a06d765bb66613b28ee22421b746c571e6f..f307645b7cd1d5fef1eaead7eb82bf257e9b1eac 100644
--- a/src/utilities/file/check_file_extension.m
+++ b/src/utilities/file/check_file_extension.m
@@ -35,4 +35,4 @@ while ~isempty(remain)
     [ext, remain] = strtok(remain,'.');
 end
 
-b = strcmp(ext,type);
\ No newline at end of file
+b = strcmp(deblank(ext),type);
\ No newline at end of file