diff --git a/geomagio/algorithm/AverageAlgorithm.py b/geomagio/algorithm/AverageAlgorithm.py
index dc11161a7de0e2866403ec6f1caacc46a6204751..ca35637ac4739b8b852d674c6d13867c76e94cc3 100644
--- a/geomagio/algorithm/AverageAlgorithm.py
+++ b/geomagio/algorithm/AverageAlgorithm.py
@@ -57,25 +57,26 @@ class AverageAlgorithm(Algorithm):
                     'Only 1 channel may be averaged at one time'
                     % (len(self.observatories), len(timeseries)))
 
+        count = 1
         # timeseries starttime and number of samples must match
         for ts in timeseries:
             # grab 1st set of stats to use in output.
             # Its values will be good if checks pass.
-            if self._stats is None:
+            if count == 1:
                 self._stats = ts.stats
 
-            if self._npts == -1:
+            if count == 1:
                 self._npts = ts.stats.npts
             if ts.stats.npts != self._npts:
                 raise AlgorithmException(
                     'Received timeseries have different lengths')
 
-            if self._stt == -1:
+            if count == 1:
                 self._stt = ts.stats.starttime
             if ts.stats.starttime != self._stt:
                 raise AlgorithmException(
                     'Received timeseries have different starttimes')
-
+	    count+=1
     def process(self, timeseries):
         """averages a channel across multiple stations