diff --git a/stim/envi/agilent_binary.h b/stim/envi/agilent_binary.h
index b103e68..bf42c8a 100644
--- a/stim/envi/agilent_binary.h
+++ b/stim/envi/agilent_binary.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ public:
 	}
 	void alloc(){
 		if (ptr != NULL) free(ptr);
+		ptr = NULL;
 		ptr = (T*) malloc(bytes());
 	}
 	void alloc(size_t x, size_t y, size_t z){		
@@ -64,13 +65,14 @@ public:
 
 	/// Default constructor, sets the resolution to zero and the data pointer to NULL
 	agilent_binary(){
-		memset(R, 0, sizeof(size_t) * 3);				//set the resolution to zero
-		memset(Z, 0, sizeof(double) * 2);
 		ptr = NULL;
+		memset(R, 0, sizeof(size_t) * 3);				//set the resolution to zero
+		memset(Z, 0, sizeof(double) * 2);		
 	}
 
 	/// Constructor with resolution
 	agilent_binary(size_t x, size_t y, size_t z){
+		ptr = NULL;
 		alloc(x, y, z);
 		memset(Z, 0, sizeof(double) * 2);
 	}
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ public:
 	
 	/// Copy constructor
 	agilent_binary(const agilent_binary<T> &obj){
+		ptr = NULL;
 		deep_copy(this, &obj);
 	}
 
@@ -100,33 +103,37 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	~agilent_binary(){
-		free(ptr);
+		if(ptr != NULL)
+			free(ptr);
 	}
 
 	void load(std::string filename){
-		if(ptr != NULL) free(ptr);						//if memory has been allocated, free it
+		if(ptr != NULL) free(ptr);									//if memory has been allocated, free it
+		ptr = NULL;
 
-		fname = filename;						//save the filename
+		fname = filename;											//save the filename
 
 		short x, y, z;
 
 		std::ifstream infile(fname, std::ios::binary);				//open the input file
-		infile.seekg(9, std::ios::beg);				//seek past 9 bytes from the beginning of the file
+		if (infile) {
+			infile.seekg(9, std::ios::beg);							//seek past 9 bytes from the beginning of the file
 
-		infile.read((char*)(&z), 2);							//read two bytes of data (the number of samples is stored as a 16-bit integer)
+			infile.read((char*)(&z), 2);							//read two bytes of data (the number of samples is stored as a 16-bit integer)
 
-		infile.seekg(13, std::ios::cur);				//skip another 13 bytes
-		infile.read((char*)(&x), 2);				//read the X and Y dimensions
-		infile.read((char*)(&y), 2);
+			infile.seekg(13, std::ios::cur);						//skip another 13 bytes
+			infile.read((char*)(&x), 2);							//read the X and Y dimensions
+			infile.read((char*)(&y), 2);
 
-		infile.seekg(header, std::ios::beg);			//seek to the start of the data
+			infile.seekg(header, std::ios::beg);					//seek to the start of the data
 
-		alloc(x, y, z);
-		ptr = (T*) malloc(bytes());							//allocate space for the data
-		infile.read((char*)ptr, bytes());				//read the data		
-		infile.close();
-		Z[0] = 1;
-		Z[1] = (double)R[2];
+			alloc(x, y, z);
+			//ptr = (T*)malloc(bytes());								//allocate space for the data
+			infile.read((char*)ptr, bytes());						//read the data		
+			infile.close();
+			Z[0] = 1;
+			Z[1] = (double)R[2];
+		}
 	}
 
 	void save(std::string filename){
--
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