diff --git a/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/N5ImageLoader.java b/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/N5ImageLoader.java
index 3a774d0b1..28e0424f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/N5ImageLoader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/N5ImageLoader.java
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
 
 public class N5ImageLoader implements ViewerImgLoader, MultiResolutionImgLoader
 {
-	private final File n5File;
+	private final N5Reader n5;
 
 	// TODO: it would be good if this would not be needed
 	//       find available setups from the n5
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ public class N5ImageLoader implements ViewerImgLoader, MultiResolutionImgLoader
 	 */
 	private final Map< Integer, SetupImgLoader > setupImgLoaders = new HashMap<>();
 
-	public N5ImageLoader( final File n5File, final AbstractSequenceDescription< ?, ?, ? > sequenceDescription )
+	public N5ImageLoader( final N5Reader n5, final AbstractSequenceDescription< ?, ?, ? > sequenceDescription )
 	{
-		this.n5File = n5File;
+		this.n5 = n5;
 		this.seq = sequenceDescription;
 	}
 
@@ -124,10 +124,16 @@ public File getN5File()
 		return n5File;
 	}
 
+	public void setN5File( File n5File )
+	{
+		this.n5File = n5File;
+	}
+
+	private File n5File;
 	private volatile boolean isOpen = false;
 	private FetcherThreads fetchers;
 	private VolatileGlobalCellCache cache;
-	private N5Reader n5;
+
 
 	private void open()
 	{
@@ -140,8 +146,6 @@ private void open()
 
 				try
 				{
-					this.n5 = new N5FSReader( n5File.getAbsolutePath() );
-
 					int maxNumLevels = 0;
 					final List< ? extends BasicViewSetup > setups = seq.getViewSetupsOrdered();
 					for ( final BasicViewSetup setup : setups )
diff --git a/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/XmlIoN5ImageLoader.java b/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/XmlIoN5ImageLoader.java
index 10e40feb6..c82307c38 100644
--- a/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/XmlIoN5ImageLoader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/bdv/img/n5/XmlIoN5ImageLoader.java
@@ -30,10 +30,13 @@
 package bdv.img.n5;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+
 import mpicbg.spim.data.XmlHelpers;
 import mpicbg.spim.data.generic.sequence.AbstractSequenceDescription;
 import mpicbg.spim.data.generic.sequence.ImgLoaderIo;
 import mpicbg.spim.data.generic.sequence.XmlIoBasicImgLoader;
+import org.janelia.saalfeldlab.n5.N5FSReader;
 import org.jdom2.Element;
 
 import static mpicbg.spim.data.XmlHelpers.loadPath;
@@ -56,7 +59,18 @@ public Element toXml( final N5ImageLoader imgLoader, final File basePath )
 	public N5ImageLoader fromXml( final Element elem, final File basePath, final AbstractSequenceDescription< ?, ?, ? > sequenceDescription )
 	{
 //		final String version = elem.getAttributeValue( "version" );
-		final File path = loadPath( elem, "n5", basePath );
-		return new N5ImageLoader( path, sequenceDescription );
+
+		try
+		{
+			final File path = loadPath( elem, "n5", basePath );
+			final N5FSReader n5FSReader = new N5FSReader( path.getAbsolutePath() );
+			final N5ImageLoader n5ImageLoader = new N5ImageLoader( n5FSReader, sequenceDescription );
+			n5ImageLoader.setN5File( path );
+			return n5ImageLoader;
+		}
+		catch ( IOException e )
+		{
+			throw new RuntimeException( e );
+		}
 	}
 }