diff --git a/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp b/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp
index 1e228c7f..438b5e93 100644
--- a/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/classes/PMsrHandler.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ Int_t PMsrHandler::ReadMsrFile()
       continue;
     }
 
+   // remove leading spaces
+   line.Remove(TString::kLeading, ' ');
+     
     if (!line.IsWhitespace()) { // if not an empty line, handle it
       // check for a msr block
       if (line_no == 1) { // title
@@ -3186,7 +3189,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
   Bool_t error = false;
   Bool_t runLinePresent = false;
 
-  TString str;
+  TString str, line;
   TObjArray *tokens = 0;
   TObjString *ostr = 0;
 
@@ -3211,8 +3214,13 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
       return false;
     }
 
+    // copy of the current line
+    line = iter->fLine;
+    // strip leading spaces from the begining
+    line.Remove(TString::kLeading, ' ');
+
     // RUN line ----------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("run", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("run", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = true; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3249,7 +3257,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // ADDRUN line ---------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("addrun", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("addrun", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       if (!runLinePresent) {
         cerr << endl << ">> PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry: **ERROR** Found ADDRUN without prior RUN, or";
@@ -3284,7 +3292,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // fittype -------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("fittype", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("fittype", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3312,7 +3320,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // alpha -------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("alpha", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("alpha", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3334,7 +3342,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // beta -------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("beta", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("beta", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3356,7 +3364,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // norm -------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("norm", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("norm", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3380,7 +3388,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // backgr.fit --------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("backgr.fit", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("backgr.fit", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3402,7 +3410,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // lifetime ------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("lifetime ", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("lifetime ", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3424,7 +3432,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // lifetimecorrection ---------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("lifetimecorrection", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("lifetimecorrection", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3432,7 +3440,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // map ------------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("map", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("map", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3462,7 +3470,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // forward ------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("forward", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("forward", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3487,7 +3495,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // backward -----------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("backward", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("backward", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3512,7 +3520,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // backgr.fix ----------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("backgr.fix", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("backgr.fix", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3531,7 +3539,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // background ---------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("background", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("background", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3555,7 +3563,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // data --------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("data", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("data", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3579,7 +3587,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // t0 -----------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("t0", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("t0", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3603,7 +3611,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // addt0 -----------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("addt0", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("addt0", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3629,7 +3637,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // fit -----------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("fit ", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("fit ", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3684,7 +3692,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // packing --------------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("packing", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("packing", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following
 
@@ -3706,7 +3714,7 @@ Bool_t PMsrHandler::HandleRunEntry(PMsrLines &lines)
     }
 
     // xy-data -----------------------------------------------
-    if (iter->fLine.BeginsWith("xy-data", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
+    if (line.BeginsWith("xy-data", TString::kIgnoreCase)) {
 
       runLinePresent = false; // this is needed to make sure that a run line is present before and ADDRUN is following