diff --git a/matlab/utilities/dataset/describe_missing_data.m b/matlab/utilities/dataset/describe_missing_data.m
index 7b7fedf4a..595ee3c6d 100644
--- a/matlab/utilities/dataset/describe_missing_data.m
+++ b/matlab/utilities/dataset/describe_missing_data.m
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ for obs=1:T
     if rows(tmp(:))
         i(obs) = { tmp(:) };
     else
-        i(obs) = { [] };
+        i(obs) = { variable_index(:) };
     end
 end
 
diff --git a/matlab/utilities/dataset/initialize_dataset.m b/matlab/utilities/dataset/initialize_dataset.m
index 95d81cbb0..4f9995209 100644
--- a/matlab/utilities/dataset/initialize_dataset.m
+++ b/matlab/utilities/dataset/initialize_dataset.m
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ if dataset_.missing.state
     dataset_.missing.number_of_observations = n;
     dataset_.missing.no_more_missing_observations = s;
 else
-    dataset_.missing.aindex = [];
+    dataset_.missing.aindex = num2cell(repmat(1:dataset_.info.nvobs,dataset_.info.ntobs,1),2);
     dataset_.missing.vindex = [];
     dataset_.missing.number_of_observations = [];
     dataset_.missing.no_more_missing_observations = [];