diff --git a/models/yolov5l.yaml b/models/yolov5l.yaml
index 31362f876932..19bb18b664a8 100644
--- a/models/yolov5l.yaml
+++ b/models/yolov5l.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # YOLOv5 🚀 by Ultralytics, AGPL-3.0 license
 
 # Parameters
+input_channels: 3  # number of input channels, RGB is 3
 nc: 80  # number of classes
 depth_multiple: 1.0  # model depth multiple
 width_multiple: 1.0  # layer channel multiple
diff --git a/models/yolov5m.yaml b/models/yolov5m.yaml
index a76900c5a2e2..6d492821ae6b 100644
--- a/models/yolov5m.yaml
+++ b/models/yolov5m.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # YOLOv5 🚀 by Ultralytics, AGPL-3.0 license
 
 # Parameters
+input_channels: 3  # number of input channels, RGB is 3
 nc: 80  # number of classes
 depth_multiple: 0.67  # model depth multiple
 width_multiple: 0.75  # layer channel multiple
diff --git a/models/yolov5n.yaml b/models/yolov5n.yaml
index aba96cfc54f4..558c06210b3d 100644
--- a/models/yolov5n.yaml
+++ b/models/yolov5n.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # YOLOv5 🚀 by Ultralytics, AGPL-3.0 license
 
 # Parameters
+input_channels: 3  # number of input channels, RGB is 3
 nc: 80  # number of classes
 depth_multiple: 0.33  # model depth multiple
 width_multiple: 0.25  # layer channel multiple
diff --git a/models/yolov5s.yaml b/models/yolov5s.yaml
index 5d05364c4936..d92e99e2ae04 100644
--- a/models/yolov5s.yaml
+++ b/models/yolov5s.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # YOLOv5 🚀 by Ultralytics, AGPL-3.0 license
 
 # Parameters
+input_channels: 3  # number of input channels, RGB is 3
 nc: 80  # number of classes
 depth_multiple: 0.33  # model depth multiple
 width_multiple: 0.50  # layer channel multiple