diff --git a/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/python/handimod.py b/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/python/handimod.py
index 943dee1083b6bf5df64d97130ed2435b8a497386..2b710b833840b23b7b2f3093879faab8fab14faa 100644
--- a/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/python/handimod.py
+++ b/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/python/handimod.py
@@ -98,15 +98,15 @@ def handiWithComparisons( name, resultsFile, htmlDir, runlistLoc, compare, brows
 
   if (browserMenu):
     makeAllDirsXml( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile)
-    list, namelist = makeAllDirsBrowserFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile,allDirsScriptDir)
+    dirlist, namelist = makeAllDirsBrowserFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile,allDirsScriptDir )
   else:
-    list, namelist = makeAllDirsFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile)
+    dirlist, namelist = makeAllDirsFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile )
     
-  for x in range(0,len(list)):
-    makeSubDirFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], list[x], runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir,jsRoot)
-    makeColorFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], list[x], 'Red', runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir,jsRoot)
-    makeColorFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], list[x], 'Yellow', runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir,jsRoot)
-    makeColorFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], list[x], 'Green', runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir,jsRoot)
+  for x in range(0,len(dirlist)):
+    makeSubDirFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], dirlist[x], runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir, jsRoot )
+    makeColorFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], dirlist[x], 'Red', runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir, jsRoot )
+    makeColorFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], dirlist[x], 'Yellow', runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir, jsRoot )
+    makeColorFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, namelist[x], dirlist[x], 'Green', runlistLoc, compare, allDirsScriptDir, jsRoot )
     makeCSSFile( htmlDir,"", namelist[x] )
   
   makeCSSFile( htmlDir,"", "." )
@@ -186,8 +186,8 @@ def makeAllDirsFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile):
 
   # initial number of white spaces, will change to positive value once we go over the lines
   spaces=-1
-  # list = list with directories (the line number) that contain histos
-  list=[]
+  # dirlist = list with directories (the line number) that contain histos
+  dirlist=[]
   # namelist = list with corresponding direcotory names
   namelist=[]
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ def makeAllDirsFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile):
         else:
           g.write('<a href="'+namedir +'/index.html" >'+shortNameDir+ ':</a>')
         g.write('&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<font class="'+ sp[1]+'">'+ sp[1] + '</font>\n')
-        list.append(x)
+        dirlist.append(x)
         namelist.append(namedir)
       else:
         g.write(shortNameDir+ ':')
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ def makeAllDirsFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile):
   g.write('</font></td>\n</tr>\n</table>')
   g.write('</body>\n</html>\n')
   g.close()
-  return list, namelist
+  return dirlist, namelist
 
 
 def makeAllDirsBrowserFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile,AllDirsScriptDir):
@@ -274,8 +274,8 @@ def makeAllDirsBrowserFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile,AllDirsScriptD
   g.write('</body>\n</html>\n')
   g.close()
   
-  # list = list with directories (the line number) that contain histos
-  list=[]
+  # dirlist = list with directories (the line number) that contain histos
+  dirlist=[]
   # namelist = list with corresponding direcotory names
   namelist=[]
 
@@ -288,10 +288,10 @@ def makeAllDirsBrowserFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, resultsFile,AllDirsScriptD
       if ( (x<number-1) and (s[x+1].rsplit())[3]=='ass' ): # check that dir contains histos
         if namedir=='<top_level>':
           namedir = '.'
-        list.append(x)
+        dirlist.append(x)
         namelist.append(namedir)
   g.close()
-  return list, namelist
+  return dirlist, namelist
 
 def makeSubDirFile( htmlDir, name, s, number, subname, assessIndex, runlistLoc,compare, AllDirsScriptDir,jsRoot):
   
diff --git a/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/src/HanOutputFile.cxx b/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/src/HanOutputFile.cxx
index adb22229ecbe40b319af5532fb19fd9d859321f1..bb631d39ade94f1df266ab698b8b9fdb7e95024e 100644
--- a/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/src/HanOutputFile.cxx
+++ b/DataQuality/DataQualityUtils/src/HanOutputFile.cxx
@@ -1442,7 +1442,9 @@ std::pair<std::string,std::string> HanOutputFile:: getHistogram( std::string nam
       displayExtra(myC,display);
       myC->RedrawAxis();
 
-      ratioplot(myC ,h,hRef,display);      //RatioPad
+      if (hRef) {
+	ratioplot(myC ,h,hRef,display);      //RatioPad
+      }
       myC->cd();//might be unnecessary
       polynomial(myC,display,h); //draw polynome for TH1
 
@@ -2244,13 +2246,16 @@ void HanOutputFile::ratioplot (TCanvas* myC_upperpad ,TH1* h,TH1* hRef,std::stri
     TProfile* ph    = dynamic_cast<TProfile*>( h );
     TH1F *clonehist   ;
     TH1F *clonehistref;
-    if( ph != 0 ) {//profile
-      std::cout<<"it is a TProfile\n";
+    //transform if profiles
+    if( ph != 0 ) {
       clonehist=(TH1F*)ph->ProjectionX();
-      clonehistref=(TH1F*)phRef->ProjectionX();
-    }else{
+    } else {
       clonehist=(TH1F*)h->Clone();
       clonehist->Sumw2();
+    }
+    if ( phRef != 0 ) {
+      clonehistref=(TH1F*)phRef->ProjectionX();
+    }else{
       clonehistref=(TH1F*)hRef->Clone();
       clonehistref->Sumw2();
     }