diff --git a/hera_pspec/data/test_uvp.h5 b/hera_pspec/data/test_uvp.h5
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..984d739f
Binary files /dev/null and b/hera_pspec/data/test_uvp.h5 differ
diff --git a/hera_pspec/pspecdata.py b/hera_pspec/pspecdata.py
index 53392470..2be883f4 100644
--- a/hera_pspec/pspecdata.py
+++ b/hera_pspec/pspecdata.py
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ def __init__(self, dsets=[], wgts=None, dsets_std=None, labels=None,
         self.spw_range = None
         self.spw_Nfreqs = None
         self.spw_Ndlys = None
-        self.r_params = {} #r_params is a dictionary that stores parameters for
-                           #parametric R matrices.
+        # r_params is a dictionary that stores parameters for
+        # parametric R matrices.
+        self.r_params = {} 
         self.cov_regularization = 0.
         # set data weighting to identity by default
         # and taper to none by default
@@ -831,11 +832,11 @@ def R(self, key):
                 # Note that we multiply sqrtY inside of the pinv
                 #to apply flagging weights before taking psuedo inverse.
                 self._R[Rkey] = sqrtT.T * np.linalg.pinv(sqrtY.T * \
-                dspec.sinc_downweight_mat_inv(nchan = self.spw_Nfreqs,
-                                    df = np.median(np.diff(self.freqs)),
-                                    filter_centers = r_params['filter_centers'],
-                                    filter_widths = r_params['filter_widths'],
-                                    filter_factors = r_params['filter_factors'])* sqrtY) * sqrtT
+                dspec.sinc_downweight_mat_inv(nchan=self.spw_Nfreqs,
+                                    df=np.median(np.diff(self.freqs)),
+                                    filter_centers=r_params['filter_centers'],
+                                    filter_widths=r_params['filter_widths'],
+                                    filter_factors=r_params['filter_factors']) * sqrtY) * sqrtT
 
         return self._R[Rkey]
 
@@ -2065,7 +2066,7 @@ def pspec(self, bls1, bls2, dsets, pols, n_dlys=None,
               input_data_weight='identity', norm='I', taper='none',
               sampling=False, little_h=True, spw_ranges=None,
               baseline_tol=1.0, store_cov=False, verbose=True,
-              exact_norm=False, history='', r_params = None):
+              exact_norm=False, history='', r_params=None):
         """
         Estimate the delay power spectrum from a pair of datasets contained in
         this object, using the optimal quadratic estimator of arXiv:1502.06016.
@@ -2461,8 +2462,8 @@ def pspec(self, bls1, bls2, dsets, pols, n_dlys=None,
                         if not key2 in r_params:
                             raise ValueError("No r_param dictionary supplied"
                                              " for baseline %s"%(str(key2)))
-                        self.set_r_param(key1,r_params[key1])
-                        self.set_r_param(key2,r_params[key2])
+                        self.set_r_param(key1, r_params[key1])
+                        self.set_r_param(key2, r_params[key2])
 
                     # Build Fisher matrix
                     if input_data_weight == 'identity':
diff --git a/hera_pspec/tests/test_uvpspec.py b/hera_pspec/tests/test_uvpspec.py
index a5eb5d27..7dd55a93 100644
--- a/hera_pspec/tests/test_uvpspec.py
+++ b/hera_pspec/tests/test_uvpspec.py
@@ -722,3 +722,10 @@ def test_conj_blpair():
     blpair = uvputils._conj_blpair(101102103104, which='both')
     nt.assert_equal(blpair, 102101104103)
     nt.assert_raises(ValueError, uvputils._conj_blpair, 102101103104, which='foo')
+
+def test_compatibility_read():
+    # test read in of a static test file dated 8/2019
+    uvp = uvpspec.UVPSpec()
+    uvp.read_hdf5(os.path.join(DATA_PATH, 'test_uvp.h5'))
+    # assert check does not fail
+    uvp.check()
diff --git a/hera_pspec/uvpspec_utils.py b/hera_pspec/uvpspec_utils.py
index a945f836..7f5f668b 100644
--- a/hera_pspec/uvpspec_utils.py
+++ b/hera_pspec/uvpspec_utils.py
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ def _select(uvp, spws=None, bls=None, only_pairs_in_bls=False, blpairs=None,
         if store_cov:
             uvp.cov_array = cov
 
-        #select r_params based on new bl_array
+        # select r_params based on new bl_array
         blp_keys = uvp.get_all_keys()
         blkeys = []
         for blpkey in blp_keys:
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ def _select(uvp, spws=None, bls=None, only_pairs_in_bls=False, blpairs=None,
             if not key2 in blkeys:
                 blkeys += [key2,]
         new_r_params = {}
-        if not uvp.r_params == '':
+        if hasattr(uvp, 'r_params') and uvp.r_params != '':
             r_params = uvp.get_r_params()
             for rpkey in r_params:
                 if rpkey in blkeys: