diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeeker.py b/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeeker.py
index fc78df8b49594973a8024cfa56cae4a00df2db90..3569ecfd1cd772c926a64134059a1af25d629975 100644
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeeker.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeeker.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ metadata_all_files = {}
 
 
 def _setup():
-	
+    
     from PyUtils.MetaReader import read_metadata
 
     from AthenaCommon.Logging import logging
@@ -18,12 +18,9 @@ def _setup():
     global metadata
     global metadata_all_files
 
-    # get input file name
-    from RecExConfig.RecoFunctions import InputFileNames
-    inFiles = InputFileNames()
         
     from AthenaCommon.AthenaCommonFlags import athenaCommonFlags
-    if athenaCommonFlags.isOnline() and not inFiles:
+    if athenaCommonFlags.isOnline():
         # set minimal items of inputFileSummary
         metadata = {
           'file_type':'BS',
@@ -31,6 +28,11 @@ def _setup():
           'TagStreamsRef':''
         }
     else:
+         
+         # get input file name
+        from RecExConfig.RecoFunctions import InputFileNames
+        inFiles = InputFileNames()
+        
         if len(inFiles) < 1:
             msg.warning("No input files specified yet! Cannot do anything.")
             return
diff --git a/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeekerFull.py b/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeekerFull.py
index 17aefd5c452cd84a983edf7631bcc38a26368ab3..b6e6595eca72a654d38f2c6508d0dc57626cbccd 100644
--- a/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeekerFull.py
+++ b/Tools/PyUtils/python/MetaReaderPeekerFull.py
@@ -17,13 +17,9 @@ def _setup():
 
     global metadata
     global metadata_all_files
-    
-    # get input file name
-    from RecExConfig.RecoFunctions import InputFileNames
-    inFiles = InputFileNames()
         
     from AthenaCommon.AthenaCommonFlags import athenaCommonFlags
-    if athenaCommonFlags.isOnline() and not inFiles:
+    if athenaCommonFlags.isOnline():
         # set minimal items of inputFileSummary
         metadata = {
           'file_type':'BS',
@@ -31,6 +27,11 @@ def _setup():
           'TagStreamsRef':''
         }
     else:
+		
+        # get input file name
+        from RecExConfig.RecoFunctions import InputFileNames
+        inFiles = InputFileNames()
+		
         if len(inFiles) < 1:
             msg.warning("No input files specified yet! Cannot do anything.")
             return