diff --git a/matlab/posterior_sampler_initialization.m b/matlab/posterior_sampler_initialization.m
index d6a36f19b207b10672736f77b1627b330ab2263a..89e32fddc60699973eccfd158fbfb3e47f6e48ee 100644
--- a/matlab/posterior_sampler_initialization.m
+++ b/matlab/posterior_sampler_initialization.m
@@ -122,8 +122,12 @@ if ~options_.load_mh_file && ~options_.mh_recover
         if ~isempty(RecordFile0)
             %% check for proper filesep char in user defined paths
             RecordFile0=strrep(RecordFile0,'\',filesep);
-            RecordFile0=strrep(RecordFile0,'/',filesep);
-            record0=load(RecordFile0);
+            if isempty(dir(RecordFile0))
+                disp('Estimation::mcmc: wrong value for mh_initialize_from_previous_mcmc_record option')
+                error('Estimation::mcmc: path to record file is not found')
+            else
+                record0=load(RecordFile0);
+            end
             record0=record0.record;
             MetropolisFolder0 = fileparts(RecordFile0);
             PreviousFolder0=fileparts(MetropolisFolder0);
@@ -131,7 +135,6 @@ if ~options_.load_mh_file && ~options_.mh_recover
         else            
             %% check for proper filesep char in user defined paths
             PreviousFolder0=strrep(PreviousFolder0,'\',filesep);
-            PreviousFolder0=strrep(PreviousFolder0,'/',filesep);
             MetropolisFolder0 = [PreviousFolder0 filesep 'metropolis'];
             [~, ModelName0]=fileparts(PreviousFolder0);
             record0=load_last_mh_history_file(MetropolisFolder0, ModelName0);
@@ -159,7 +162,12 @@ if ~options_.load_mh_file && ~options_.mh_recover
             options_.mh_nblck = NumberOfBlocks;
         end
         if ~isempty(PriorFile0)
-            bayestopt0 = load(PriorFile0);
+            if isempty(dir(PriorFile0))
+                disp('Estimation::mcmc: wrong value for mh_initialize_from_previous_mcmc_prior option')
+                error('Estimation::mcmc: path to prior file is not found')
+            else
+                bayestopt0 = load(PriorFile0);
+            end
         else
             bayestopt0 = load([PreviousFolder0 filesep 'prior' filesep 'definition.mat']);
         end