diff --git a/R/ByChunks.R b/R/ByChunks.R
index c43f4d14c28fba3b4cc0eda1172e191a92d2cf8b..933fc71f9147585df7283f92d6bc99625abaf5e5 100644
--- a/R/ByChunks.R
+++ b/R/ByChunks.R
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ ByChunks <- function(step_fun, cube_headers, ..., chunks = 'auto',
     if (is.null(all_dims_merged)) {
       all_dims_merged <- i
     } else {
-      all_dims_merged <- startR:::.MergeArrayDims(all_dims_merged, i)[[1]]
+      all_dims_merged <- startR:::.MergeArrayDims(all_dims_merged, i)[[3]]
     }
   }
   all_dimnames <- names(all_dims_merged)
diff --git a/R/Start.R b/R/Start.R
index fc05ee5495ffabf03263108cc8c84589d7f77282..168fae710c96085dfd34e22610febae131ea90a9 100644
--- a/R/Start.R
+++ b/R/Start.R
@@ -2461,12 +2461,12 @@ print("-> PROCEEDING TO CROP VARIABLES")
         total_inner_dims <- inner_dims
       } else {
         new_dims <- .MergeArrayDims(total_inner_dims, inner_dims)
-        total_inner_dims <- pmax(new_dims[[1]], new_dims[[2]])
+        total_inner_dims <- new_dims[[3]]
       }
     }
   }
   new_dims <- .MergeArrayDims(dim(array_of_files_to_load), total_inner_dims)
-  final_dims <- pmax(new_dims[[1]], new_dims[[2]])[dim_names]
+  final_dims <- new_dims[[3]][dim_names]
   # final_dims_fake is the vector of final dimensions after having merged the 
   # 'across' file dimensions with the respective 'across' inner dimensions, and
   # after having broken into multiple dimensions those dimensions for which 
diff --git a/R/Utils.R b/R/Utils.R
index 6f7b6a17758e661fd42a1b59648c3a960cc6f2e5..0d1fdc65f7309b2801c27077541fa639c2bd72bc 100644
--- a/R/Utils.R
+++ b/R/Utils.R
@@ -528,6 +528,11 @@ chunk <- function(chunk, n_chunks, selectors) {
 # It expects as inputs two named numeric vectors, and it extends them
 # with dimensions of length 1 until an ordered common dimension
 # format is reached.
+# The first output is dims1 extended with 1s.
+# The second output is dims2 extended with 1s.
+# The third output is a merged dimension vector. If dimensions with
+# the same name are found in the two inputs, and they have a different
+# length, the maximum is taken.
 .MergeArrayDims <- function(dims1, dims2) {
   new_dims1 <- c()
   new_dims2 <- c()
@@ -555,7 +560,7 @@ chunk <- function(chunk, n_chunks, selectors) {
     new_dims1 <- c(new_dims1, dims_to_add)
     new_dims2 <- c(new_dims2, dims2)
   }
-  list(new_dims1, new_dims2)
+  list(new_dims1, new_dims2, pmax(new_dims1, new_dims2))
 }
 
 # This function takes two named arrays and merges them, filling with