diff --git a/stim/envi/envi.h b/stim/envi/envi.h
index 305540f..ff73a1c 100644
--- a/stim/envi/envi.h
+++ b/stim/envi/envi.h
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ class envi{
 
 public:
 
+	/// Default constructor
+	envi(){
+		file = NULL;				//set the file pointer to NULL
+	}
+
 	envi_header header;
 
 	void* malloc_spectrum(){
@@ -979,12 +984,13 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	/// Closes the ENVI file.
-	bool close(){
+	void close(){
+		if(file == NULL) return;
 		if(header.interleave == envi_header::BSQ){
 			if(header.data_type ==envi_header::float32)
-				return ((bsq<float>*)file)->close();
+				((bsq<float>*)file)->close();
 			else if(header.data_type == envi_header::float64)
-				return ((bsq<double>*)file)->close();
+				((bsq<double>*)file)->close();
 			else{
 				std::cout<<"ERROR: unidentified data type"<<std::endl;
 				exit(1);
@@ -993,9 +999,9 @@ public:
 
 		else if(header.interleave == envi_header::BIL){
 			if(header.data_type ==envi_header::float32)
-				return ((bil<float>*)file)->close();
+				((bil<float>*)file)->close();
 			else if(header.data_type == envi_header::float64)
-				return ((bil<double>*)file)->close();
+				((bil<double>*)file)->close();
 			else{
 				std::cout<<"ERROR: unidentified data type"<<std::endl;
 				exit(1);
@@ -1004,15 +1010,14 @@ public:
 
 		else if(header.interleave == envi_header::BIP){
 			if(header.data_type ==envi_header::float32)
-				return ((bip<float>*)file)->close();
+				((bip<float>*)file)->close();
 			else if(header.data_type == envi_header::float64)
-				return ((bip<double>*)file)->close();
+				((bip<double>*)file)->close();
 			else{
 				std::cout<<"ERROR: unidentified data type"<<std::endl;
 				exit(1);
 			}
 		}
-		return false;
 	}
 
 	/// Retrieve a single pixel and stores it in pre-allocated memory.
--
libgit2 0.21.4