diff --git a/reader/HDF5MetadataSource.cpp b/reader/HDF5MetadataSource.cpp
index 2a3ca7ea..ab09ef50 100644
--- a/reader/HDF5MetadataSource.cpp
+++ b/reader/HDF5MetadataSource.cpp
@@ -661,15 +661,17 @@ HDF5MetadataSource::OpenResult HDF5MetadataSource::Open(const std::string &filen
         if (master_file->Exists("/entry/instrument/detector/sensor_material"))
             detector.SensorMaterial(master_file->GetString("/entry/instrument/detector/sensor_material"));
         detector.SaturationLimit(master_file->GetInt("/entry/instrument/detector/saturation_value"));
-        // The container depth of the stored images, NOT the detector's counter depth. DetectorSetup
-        // defaults DECTRIS to 16 bits, and GetByteDepthImage() prefers that over the value the image
-        // format carries - so without this an EIGER2 file that stores 32-bit images has its overflow
-        // computed as a 16-bit one and every count above 32767 is called saturated. The integration
-        // accept gate then drops the WHOLE reflection, which silently removes the strongest
-        // reflections of a strong crystal (measured on a lysozyme set: max accepted pixel 32738
-        // against a declared saturation of 108833).
-        if (master_file->Exists("/entry/instrument/detector/bit_depth_image"))
-            detector.BitDepthImage(master_file->GetInt("/entry/instrument/detector/bit_depth_image"));
+        // The reader hands every image out as signed int32 whatever the file stored (see PixelSigned
+        // below), so that is the container depth the rest of the code has to see. DetectorSetup defaults
+        // DECTRIS to 16 bits and GetByteDepthImage() prefers the detector's value over the image
+        // format's, so leaving it at the default computed the overflow as a 16-bit one and called every
+        // count above 32767 saturated - the integration accept gate then dropped the WHOLE reflection,
+        // silently removing the strongest reflections of a strong crystal (measured on a lysozyme set:
+        // max accepted pixel 32738 against a declared saturation of 108833). Taking bit_depth_image from
+        // the file instead does not work either: it describes an UNSIGNED container, so pairing it with
+        // signed pixels halves the range (a 16-bit file capped at 32767, an 8-bit one at 127). The real
+        // cap is the file's own saturation_value, set just above.
+        detector.BitDepthImage(32);
         detector.MinFrameTime(std::chrono::microseconds(0));
         detector.MinCountTime(std::chrono::microseconds(0));
         detector.ReadOutTime(std::chrono::nanoseconds(0));