diff --git a/src/napari_segment/_reader.py b/src/napari_segment/_reader.py
index 80560e03a6cbe1d78a2691df8e208b294537307c..c86f0cd5e584cef75872f2896c841ae40e57ddb3 100644
--- a/src/napari_segment/_reader.py
+++ b/src/napari_segment/_reader.py
@@ -40,11 +40,15 @@ def napari_get_reader(path):
 def read_nd2(path):
     data = nd2.ND2File(path)
     ddata = data.to_dask()
+    try:
+        channel_axis = list(d.sizes.keys()).index('C')
+    except ValueError:
+        channel_axis = None
     return [
         (
             ddata,
             dict(
-                channel_axis=1,
+                channel_axis=channel_axis,
                 name=["BF", "fluo"],
                 colormap=["gray", "green"],
                 contrast_limits=[(8500, 35000), (150, 20000)],