diff --git a/src/main/java/mpicbg/stitching/ImageCollectionElement.java b/src/main/java/mpicbg/stitching/ImageCollectionElement.java
index 0b47ce7..9f4a5f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/mpicbg/stitching/ImageCollectionElement.java
+++ b/src/main/java/mpicbg/stitching/ImageCollectionElement.java
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ public ImagePlus open( final boolean virtual )
 			
 			ImporterOptions options = new ImporterOptions();
 			options.setId( file.getAbsolutePath() );
+			options.setSeriesOn(getIndex(), true);
 			options.setSplitChannels( false );
 			options.setSplitTimepoints( false );
 			options.setSplitFocalPlanes( false );
diff --git a/src/main/java/plugin/Stitching_Grid.java b/src/main/java/plugin/Stitching_Grid.java
index 3515279..d1640d9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/plugin/Stitching_Grid.java
+++ b/src/main/java/plugin/Stitching_Grid.java
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ protected ArrayList< ImageCollectionElement > getLayoutFromMultiSeriesFile( fina
 			// CTR HACK: In the case of a single series, we treat each time point
 			// as a separate series for the purpose of stitching tiles.
 			timeHack = numSeries == 1;
-
+			
 			for ( int series = 0; series < numSeries; ++series )
 			{
 				Log.debug( "fetching data for series:  " + series );
@@ -956,14 +956,14 @@ protected ArrayList< ImageCollectionElement > getLayoutFromMultiSeriesFile( fina
 
 					if ( dim == 2 )
 					{
-						element = new ImageCollectionElement( new File( multiSeriesFile ), elements.size() );
+						element = new ImageCollectionElement( new File( multiSeriesFile ), series );
 						element.setModel( new TranslationModel2D() );
 						element.setOffset( new float[]{ (float)locationX, (float)locationY } );
 						element.setDimensionality( 2 );
 					}
 					else
 					{
-						element = new ImageCollectionElement( new File( multiSeriesFile ), elements.size() );
+						element = new ImageCollectionElement( new File( multiSeriesFile ), series );
 						element.setModel( new TranslationModel3D() );
 						element.setOffset( new float[]{ (float)locationX, (float)locationY, (float)locationZ } );
 						element.setDimensionality( 3 );