diff --git a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/ExcelImporter.java b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/ExcelImporter.java
index be9efe0f8..c417e0146 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/ExcelImporter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/ExcelImporter.java
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ public class ExcelImporter implements Importer {
                     
                     if (skip <= 0 || rowsWithData > skip) {
                         project.rows.add(newRow);
+                        project.columnModel.setMaxCellIndex(newRow.cells.size());
+                        
                         if (limit > 0 && project.rows.size() >= limit) {
                             break;
                         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/TsvCsvImporter.java b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/TsvCsvImporter.java
index 895fdffb0..f91b3f9b6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/TsvCsvImporter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/importers/TsvCsvImporter.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public class TsvCsvImporter implements Importer {
                         
                         if (skip <= 0 || rowsWithData > skip) {
                             project.rows.add(row);
-                            project.columnModel.setMaxCellIndex(Math.max(project.columnModel.getMaxCellIndex(), row.cells.size()));
+                            project.columnModel.setMaxCellIndex(row.cells.size());
                             
                             if (limit > 0 && project.rows.size() >= limit) {
                                 break;