diff --git a/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloDigi.cc b/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloDigi.cc
index c98b51c0..a030ccf1 100644
--- a/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloDigi.cc
+++ b/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloDigi.cc
@@ -270,6 +270,8 @@ void RealisticCaloDigi::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
     try{
       LCCollection * col = evt->getCollection( colName.c_str() ) ;
       string initString = col->getParameters().getStringVal(LCIO::CellIDEncoding);
+      newcol->parameters().setValue(LCIO::CellIDEncoding,initString);
+
       CHT::CaloType cht_type = caloTypeFromString(colName);
       CHT::CaloID   cht_id   = caloIDFromString(colName);
       CHT::Layout   cht_lay  = layoutFromString(colName);
@@ -279,9 +281,6 @@ void RealisticCaloDigi::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
       int numElements = col->getNumberOfElements();
       streamlog_out ( DEBUG1 ) << colName << " number of elements = " << numElements << endl;
 
-      if ( numElements==0 ) continue;
-
-
       // loop over input hits
       for (int j=0; j < numElements; ++j) {
         SimCalorimeterHit * simhit = dynamic_cast<SimCalorimeterHit*>( col->getElementAt( j ) ) ;
@@ -316,13 +315,12 @@ void RealisticCaloDigi::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
         } // theshold
       } // input hits
 
-      // add collection to event
-      newcol->parameters().setValue(LCIO::CellIDEncoding,initString);
 
     } catch(DataNotAvailableException &e){
       streamlog_out(DEBUG1) << "could not find input collection " << colName << std::endl;
     }
 
+    // add collection to event
     evt->addCollection(newcol,_outputCollections[i].c_str());
 
     // add relation collection to event
diff --git a/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloReco.cc b/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloReco.cc
index c8869b46..c9793397 100644
--- a/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloReco.cc
+++ b/CaloDigi/Realistic/src/RealisticCaloReco.cc
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ void RealisticCaloReco::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
 
 
       int numElements = col->getNumberOfElements();
+      newcol->parameters().setValue(LCIO::CellIDEncoding,initString);
+
       streamlog_out ( DEBUG ) << colName << " number of elements = " << numElements << endl;
 
       for (int j(0); j < numElements; ++j) {
@@ -181,14 +183,13 @@ void RealisticCaloReco::processEvent( LCEvent * evt ) {
 
       }
 
-      // add collection to event
-      newcol->parameters().setValue(LCIO::CellIDEncoding,initString);
-      
+
     }
     catch(DataNotAvailableException &e){
       streamlog_out(DEBUG) << "could not find input ECAL collection " << colName << std::endl;
     }
 
+    // add collection to event
     evt->addCollection(newcol,_outputHitCollections[i].c_str());
     evt->addCollection(relcol, _outputRelCollections[i].c_str());
   }