diff --git a/matlab/ms-sbvar/initialize_ms_sbvar_options.m b/matlab/ms-sbvar/initialize_ms_sbvar_options.m
index 121813ae8..61255652b 100644
--- a/matlab/ms-sbvar/initialize_ms_sbvar_options.m
+++ b/matlab/ms-sbvar/initialize_ms_sbvar_options.m
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ options_.ms.create_init = 1;
 options_.ms.coefficients_prior_hyperparameters = [1.0 1.0 0.1 1.2 1.0 1.0];
 options_.ms.freq = 4;
 options_.ms.initial_subperiod = 1;
-options_.ms.final_subperiod=4;
+options_.ms.final_subperiod = '';
 options_.ms.nlags = 1;
 options_.ms.cross_restrictions = 0;
 options_.ms.contemp_reduced_form = 0;
diff --git a/matlab/ms-sbvar/sbvar.m b/matlab/ms-sbvar/sbvar.m
index 00762085d..0a6864536 100644
--- a/matlab/ms-sbvar/sbvar.m
+++ b/matlab/ms-sbvar/sbvar.m
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ options.data = read_variables(options.datafile,options.varobs,[],options.xls_she
 [final_year,final_subperiod] = check_datafile_years_assigned(options);
 if ~isempty(final_year)
     options.ms.final_year = final_year;
-    opions.ms.final_subperiod = final_subperiod;
+    options.ms.final_subperiod = final_subperiod;
 end
 
 if options.forecast == 0