diff --git a/R/Start.R b/R/Start.R
index 718ae42654791c500df7fa63bcb60806bf9efa1e..32c61ae65da0903d6064551cb863d0aae53e8919 100644
--- a/R/Start.R
+++ b/R/Start.R
@@ -4141,9 +4141,14 @@ Start <- function(..., # dim = indices/selectors,
         loaded_metadata_count <- 1
         for (kk in 1:length(return_metadata)) {
           for (jj in 1:length(return_metadata[[kk]])) {
+
             if (dataset_has_files[kk]) {
-              return_metadata[[kk]][jj] <- loaded_metadata[[loaded_metadata_count]]
-              names(return_metadata[[kk]])[jj] <- names(loaded_metadata[[loaded_metadata_count]])
+              if (loaded_metadata_count %in% loaded_metadata_files) {
+                return_metadata[[kk]][jj] <- loaded_metadata[[loaded_metadata_count]]
+                names(return_metadata[[kk]])[jj] <- names(loaded_metadata[[loaded_metadata_count]])
+              } else {
+                return_metadata[[kk]][jj] <- NULL
+              }
               loaded_metadata_count <- loaded_metadata_count + 1
             } else {
               return_metadata[[kk]][jj] <- NULL
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-Start-metadata_dims.R b/tests/testthat/test-Start-metadata_dims.R
index 0e53f07df6e04478907e5aaa8df13aeb9d32a6f7..1c0bc912705c088b30f3aecafced117375f6bc48 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-Start-metadata_dims.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-Start-metadata_dims.R
@@ -374,3 +374,71 @@ test_that("7. Two data sets, while one is missing", {
         dim = c(dat = 2, var = 1, sdate = 1))
   )
 })
+
+test_that("8. Two data sets, both have files but the first file is missing", {
+path_list <- list(
+              MPI = list(name = 'MPI_ESM',
+                         path = paste0('/esarchive/exp/CMIP6/dcppA-hindcast/mpi-esm1-2-hr/',
+                                       'cmip6-dcppA-hindcast_i1p1/DCPP/MPI-M/MPI-ESM1-2-HR/',
+                                       'dcppA-hindcast/$member$/day/$var$/gn/v20200101/',
+                                       '$var$_day_MPI-ESM1-2-HR_dcppA-hindcast_s$sdate$-$member$_gn_$chunk$.nc')),
+              Had = list(name = 'HadGEM3',
+                         path = paste0('/esarchive/exp/CMIP6/dcppA-hindcast/hadgem3-gc31-mm/',
+                                      'cmip6-dcppA-hindcast_i1p1/DCPP/MOHC/HadGEM3-GC31-MM/',
+                                      'dcppA-hindcast/$member$/day/$var$/gn/v20200101/',
+                                      '$var$_day_HadGEM3-GC31-MM_dcppA-hindcast_s$sdate$-$member$_gn_$chunk$.nc')))
+
+data <- Start(dataset = path_list,
+              var = 'tasmin',
+              member = list(c('r1i1p1f1', 'r2i1p1f2')), 
+              sdate = paste0(2018),
+              chunk = list(c('20181101-20281231', '20181101-20281230')),
+              time = indices(1), #'all',
+              lat = values(list(0, 14)),
+              lon = values(list(0, 28)),
+              synonims = list(time = c('fmonth','time'),
+                              lon = c('lon', 'longitude'),
+                              lat = c('lat', 'latitude')),
+              return_vars = list(lat = 'dataset', lon = 'dataset'),
+              lat_reorder = Sort(),
+              num_procs = 1,
+              retrieve = T)
+
+  expect_equal(
+  length(data[is.na(data)]),
+  5500
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  length(attr(data, "Variables")$MPI_ESM),
+  3
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  length(attr(data, "Variables")$MPI_ESM$lon),
+  30
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  names(attr(data, "Variables")$MPI_ESM),
+  c('lat', 'lon', 'tasmin')
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  length(attr(data, "Variables")$HadGEM3),
+  2
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  length(attr(data, "Variables")$HadGEM3$lon),
+  34
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  names(attr(data, "Variables")$HadGEM3),
+  c('lat', 'lon')
+  )
+  expect_equal(
+  attr(data, 'Files'),
+  array(c("/esarchive/exp/CMIP6/dcppA-hindcast/mpi-esm1-2-hr/cmip6-dcppA-hindcast_i1p1/DCPP/MPI-M/MPI-ESM1-2-HR/dcppA-hindcast/r1i1p1f1/day/tasmin/gn/v20200101/tasmin_day_MPI-ESM1-2-HR_dcppA-hindcast_s2018-r1i1p1f1_gn_20181101-20281231.nc",
+          NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, NA,
+          "/esarchive/exp/CMIP6/dcppA-hindcast/hadgem3-gc31-mm/cmip6-dcppA-hindcast_i1p1/DCPP/MOHC/HadGEM3-GC31-MM/dcppA-hindcast/r2i1p1f2/day/tasmin/gn/v20200101/tasmin_day_HadGEM3-GC31-MM_dcppA-hindcast_s2018-r2i1p1f2_gn_20181101-20281230.nc"),
+        dim = c(dataset = 2, var = 1, member = 2, sdate = 1, chunk = 2))
+  )
+
+
+})