diff --git a/matlab/ReadHDF5Attribute.m b/matlab/ReadHDF5Attribute.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3361ee9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matlab/ReadHDF5Attribute.m
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+function attr = ReadHDF5Attribute(file, groupname, attr_name)
+% attr = ReadHDF5Attribute(file, groupname, attr_name)
+%
+% internal function for openEMS to read hdf5 attributes
+%
+% See also: ReadHDF5ComplexData
+%
+% openEMS Matlab/Octave interface
+% -----------------------
+% author: Thorsten Liebig, 2012
+
+
+if isOctave
+    if (exist('h5readatt_octave')==0)
+        warning('openEMS:ReadHDF5Attribute','function "h5readatt_octave" not found, trying to run "setup"');
+        try
+            setup
+        catch
+            error('openEMS:ReadHDF5Attribute','running "setup" failed...');
+        end
+    end
+    attr = double(h5readatt_octave(file,groupname,attr_name));
+else
+    %check for different matlab versions
+    if verLessThan('matlab','7.9')
+        attr = double(hdf5read(file,[groupname '/' attr_name]));
+    elseif verLessThan('matlab','7.12')
+        attr = double(hdf5read(file,groupname,attr_name));
+    else
+        attr = double(h5readatt(file,groupname,attr_name));
+    end
+    
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/matlab/ReadHDF5FieldData.m b/matlab/ReadHDF5FieldData.m
index d1f6ae7..09bfdf7 100644
--- a/matlab/ReadHDF5FieldData.m
+++ b/matlab/ReadHDF5FieldData.m
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ end
 
 % extract FD data
 try
-    hdf_fielddata.FD.frequency = double(hdf5read(file,'/FieldData/FD','frequency'));
+    hdf_fielddata.FD.frequency = ReadHDF5Attribute(file,'/FieldData/FD','frequency');
 catch err
 %     disp(err)
     return
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ if isfield(hdf.FieldData,'TD')
     for n=1:numel(hdf_fielddata_names)
         hdf_fielddata.TD.values{n} = hdf.FieldData.TD.(hdf_fielddata_names{n});
         hdf_fielddata.TD.names{n} = ['/FieldData/TD/' hdf_fielddata_names{n}(2:end)];
-        hdf_fielddata.TD.time(n) = h5readatt_octave(file, hdf_fielddata.TD.names{n},'time');
+        hdf_fielddata.TD.time(n) = ReadHDF5Attribute(file, hdf_fielddata.TD.names{n},'time');
     end
 end
 if isfield(hdf.FieldData,'FD')
     %read FD data
-    hdf_fielddata.FD.frequency = h5readatt_octave(file,'/FieldData/FD/','frequency');
+    hdf_fielddata.FD.frequency = ReadHDF5Attribute(file,'/FieldData/FD/','frequency');
     for n=1:numel(hdf_fielddata.FD.frequency)
         hdf_fielddata.FD.values{n} = double(hdf.FieldData.FD.(['f' int2str(n-1) '_real']) +1i*hdf.FieldData.FD.(['f' int2str(n-1) '_imag']) );
     end
diff --git a/matlab/private/ReadNF2FF.m b/matlab/private/ReadNF2FF.m
index 74163a2..cdf85f3 100644
--- a/matlab/private/ReadNF2FF.m
+++ b/matlab/private/ReadNF2FF.m
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ nf2ff.r = double(hdf_mesh.lines{1});
 nf2ff.theta = double(hdf_mesh.lines{2});
 nf2ff.phi = double(hdf_mesh.lines{3});
 
+% read attributes
+nf2ff.freq = ReadHDF5Attribute(file,'/nf2ff','Frequency');
+nf2ff.Prad = ReadHDF5Attribute(file,'/nf2ff','Prad');
+nf2ff.Dmax = ReadHDF5Attribute(file,'/nf2ff','Dmax');
+
 if isOctave
-    nf2ff.freq = double(h5readatt_octave(file,'/nf2ff','Frequency'));
-    nf2ff.Prad = double(h5readatt_octave(file,'/nf2ff','Prad'));
-    nf2ff.Dmax = double(h5readatt_octave(file,'/nf2ff','Dmax'));
     hdf = load( '-hdf5', file );
     for n=1:numel(nf2ff.freq)
         nf2ff.E_theta{n} = double(hdf.nf2ff.E_theta.FD.(['f' int2str(n-1) '_real']) +1i*hdf.nf2ff.E_theta.FD.(['f' int2str(n-1) '_imag']) );
@@ -33,17 +35,6 @@ else
     % matlab compatibility to older versions
     if verLessThan('matlab','7.12')
 
-        % read attributes
-        if verLessThan('matlab','7.9')
-            nf2ff.freq = double(hdf5read(file,'/nf2ff/Frequency'));
-            nf2ff.Prad = double(hdf5read(file,'/nf2ff/Prad'));
-            nf2ff.Dmax = double(hdf5read(file,'/nf2ff/Dmax'));
-        else
-            nf2ff.freq = double(hdf5read(file,'/nf2ff','Frequency'));
-            nf2ff.Prad = double(hdf5read(file,'/nf2ff','Prad'));
-            nf2ff.Dmax = double(hdf5read(file,'/nf2ff','Dmax'));
-        end
-
         % read data
         for n=1:numel(nf2ff.freq)
             nf2ff.E_theta{n} = double(hdf5read(file,['/nf2ff/E_theta/FD/f' int2str(n-1) '_real']) + 1i*hdf5read(file,['/nf2ff/E_theta/FD/f' int2str(n-1) '_imag']));
@@ -54,11 +45,6 @@ else
         return
     end
 
-    % read attributes
-    nf2ff.freq = double(h5readatt(file,'/nf2ff','Frequency'));
-    nf2ff.Prad = double(h5readatt(file,'/nf2ff','Prad'));
-    nf2ff.Dmax = double(h5readatt(file,'/nf2ff','Dmax'));
-
     % read data
     for n=1:numel(nf2ff.freq)
         nf2ff.E_theta{n} = double(h5read(file,['/nf2ff/E_theta/FD/f' int2str(n-1) '_real']) + 1i*h5read(file,['/nf2ff/E_theta/FD/f' int2str(n-1) '_imag']));