diff --git a/PhyPraKit/PhyPraKit.py b/PhyPraKit/PhyPraKit.py
index c99f1d5..ec7d439 100644
--- a/PhyPraKit/PhyPraKit.py
+++ b/PhyPraKit/PhyPraKit.py
@@ -2142,7 +2142,7 @@ def plot_xy(x, y, ex, ey, title=None,
 # finally, plot legend of all shown graphs      
   plt.legend(loc='best')
 
-def csv2yaml(file, nlhead=1, delim='\t'):
+def csv2yaml(file, nlhead=1, delim='\t', keyline=0):
   """read floating point data in general csv format and convert to yaml  
 
   skip header lines, replace decimal comma, remove special characters,
@@ -2217,7 +2217,7 @@ def specialCharFilter(f, delim):
   #print(" --> number of data points", Nlin)
 
   # interpret strings in header[0] as keys
-  keys = hlines[0].split(delim)
+  keys = hlines[keyline].split(delim)
   Nkey = len(keys)
   if Nkey != Ncol:
     print('Nkey=', Nkey, ' Ncol=', Ncol)
diff --git a/PhyPraKit/csv2yml.py b/PhyPraKit/csv2yml.py
index 8beca83..01844c8 100755
--- a/PhyPraKit/csv2yml.py
+++ b/PhyPraKit/csv2yml.py
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
   parser.add_argument('-n','--header_lines', 
                       type=int, default=1,
            help="numer of header lines, default=1")
+  parser.add_argument('-k','--key_line', 
+                      type=int, default=0,
+           help="header line containing keys, default=0")
   
   if len(sys.argv)==1:  # print help message if no input given
     parser.print_help()
@@ -61,6 +64,7 @@
   fnam = args.filename
 
   nlhead = args.header_lines
+  l_key = args.key_line  
   delim = args.delimiter
   showHeader = args.Header
   sav_flg = args.save
@@ -70,7 +74,7 @@
   # ---- end argument parsing -------------------
   
   f = open(fnam, 'r') 
-  hlines, ylines = csv2yaml(f, nlhead, delim)
+  hlines, ylines = csv2yaml(f, nlhead, delim, l_key)
 
   if not quiet:
     print('-->', fnam, 'to yaml', end='')
diff --git a/tools/csv2yml.py b/tools/csv2yml.py
index 8beca83..01844c8 100755
--- a/tools/csv2yml.py
+++ b/tools/csv2yml.py
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
   parser.add_argument('-n','--header_lines', 
                       type=int, default=1,
            help="numer of header lines, default=1")
+  parser.add_argument('-k','--key_line', 
+                      type=int, default=0,
+           help="header line containing keys, default=0")
   
   if len(sys.argv)==1:  # print help message if no input given
     parser.print_help()
@@ -61,6 +64,7 @@
   fnam = args.filename
 
   nlhead = args.header_lines
+  l_key = args.key_line  
   delim = args.delimiter
   showHeader = args.Header
   sav_flg = args.save
@@ -70,7 +74,7 @@
   # ---- end argument parsing -------------------
   
   f = open(fnam, 'r') 
-  hlines, ylines = csv2yaml(f, nlhead, delim)
+  hlines, ylines = csv2yaml(f, nlhead, delim, l_key)
 
   if not quiet:
     print('-->', fnam, 'to yaml', end='')