diff --git a/Simulation/SimulationJobOptions/share/specialConfig/preInclude.Qball.py b/Simulation/SimulationJobOptions/share/specialConfig/preInclude.Qball.py
index 5b686b1ad2cf673707c0f7c731608f891c3f97bf..a6123bd0a9386b700b5a888338b0a2a7fe0d258b 100644
--- a/Simulation/SimulationJobOptions/share/specialConfig/preInclude.Qball.py
+++ b/Simulation/SimulationJobOptions/share/specialConfig/preInclude.Qball.py
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ def load_files_for_qball_scenario(MASS, CHARGE):
     del BLINE1
     del BLINE2
 
-assert "MASS" in simdict
-assert "CHARGE" in simdict
 doG4SimConfig = True
 from AthenaCommon.AthenaCommonFlags import athenaCommonFlags
 import PyUtils.AthFile as af
@@ -52,13 +50,16 @@ try:
     else:
         from G4AtlasApps.SimFlags import simFlags
         if not "InteractingPDGCodes" in simFlags.specialConfiguration.get_Value():
-            CODE=10000000+int(float(simdict["CHARGE"])*100)
+            assert "CHARGE" in simFlags.specialConfiguration.get_Value()
+            CODE=10000000+int(float(simFlags.specialConfiguration.get_Value()["CHARGE"])*100)
             simFlags.specialConfiguration.get_Value()['InteractingPDGCodes'] = str([CODE,-1*CODE])
         simdict = simFlags.specialConfiguration.get_Value()
 except:
     from G4AtlasApps.SimFlags import simFlags
     simdict = simFlags.specialConfiguration.get_Value()
 
+assert "MASS" in simdict
+assert "CHARGE" in simdict
 load_files_for_qball_scenario(simdict["MASS"], simdict["CHARGE"])
 
 if doG4SimConfig: