diff --git a/pykat/__init__.py b/pykat/__init__.py
index 623b97c80b102ce8c06d27f463c12033f365b15c..daf240044eb61ebfdf08d216553f99a0a664659f 100644
--- a/pykat/__init__.py
+++ b/pykat/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import division
 from __future__ import print_function
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
-__version__ = "1.0.16"
+__version__ = "1.0.17"
 
 # This flag is used to switch on the gui features in pkat at import time
 USE_GUI = False
diff --git a/pykat/finesse.py b/pykat/finesse.py
index 9100d2cb9ed3c5bc582932f1bf114a8fc76643ec..f25155f43cc4a3bf5795eea590134d10a6392a4f 100644
--- a/pykat/finesse.py
+++ b/pykat/finesse.py
@@ -1831,6 +1831,10 @@ class kat(object):
                                         traceData[-1][node_name] = (pykat.BeamParam(q=complex(qx), wavelength=self.lambda0),
                                                                     pykat.BeamParam(q=complex(qy), wavelength=self.lambda0),
                                                                     component_name)
+                                        direc = a[1].split(";")[-1].strip().split(maxsplit=1)[-1]
+                                        
+                                        traceData[-1][node_name][0].direction = direc
+                                        traceData[-1][node_name][1].direction = direc
                             
                         finally:
                             ifile.close()