Index: trunk/psModules/src/camera/pmFPARead.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/psModules/src/camera/pmFPARead.c	(revision 7851)
+++ trunk/psModules/src/camera/pmFPARead.c	(revision 7859)
@@ -174,11 +174,12 @@
     // Get the HDU and read the header
     pmCell *cell = readout->parent;     // The parent cell
+
+    pmHDU *hdu = pmHDUFromCell(cell);   // The HDU
+    if (!hdu || hdu->blankPHU) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if (!pmCellReadHeader(cell, fits)) {
         psError(PS_ERR_IO, false, "Unable to read header for cell!\n");
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    pmHDU *hdu = pmHDUFromCell(cell);   // The HDU
-    if (!hdu) {
         return false;
     }