diff --git a/PyLoT.py b/PyLoT.py
index cd3c849d..9d73bd32 100755
--- a/PyLoT.py
+++ b/PyLoT.py
@@ -1753,13 +1753,14 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     def finish_pg_plot(self):
         self.getPlotWidget().updateWidget()
-        plots = self.wfp_thread.data
+        plots, gaps = self.wfp_thread.data
         for times, data, times_syn, data_syn in plots:
             self.dataPlot.plotWidget.getPlotItem().plot(times, data,
                                                         pen=self.dataPlot.pen_linecolor)
             if len(data_syn) > 0:
                 self.dataPlot.plotWidget.getPlotItem().plot(times_syn, data_syn,
                                                             pen=self.dataPlot.pen_linecolor_syn)
+
         self.dataPlot.reinitMoveProxy()
         self.dataPlot.plotWidget.showAxis('left')
         self.dataPlot.plotWidget.showAxis('bottom')
@@ -1900,9 +1901,9 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
             self.plot_method = 'fast'
         else:
             self.plot_method = 'normal'
-        plots = plotWidget.plotWFData(wfdata=wfst, wfsyn=wfsyn, title=title, mapping=False, component=comp,
-                                      nth_sample=int(nth_sample), method=self.plot_method)
-        return plots
+        plots, gaps = plotWidget.plotWFData(wfdata=wfst, wfsyn=wfsyn, title=title, mapping=False, component=comp,
+                                            nth_sample=int(nth_sample), method=self.plot_method)
+        return plots, gaps
 
     def adjustPlotHeight(self):
         if self.pg:
diff --git a/pylot/core/io/data.py b/pylot/core/io/data.py
index a7cb85d5..50e7a961 100644
--- a/pylot/core/io/data.py
+++ b/pylot/core/io/data.py
@@ -398,9 +398,6 @@ class Data(object):
         # various pre-processing steps:
         # remove possible underscores in station names
         self.wfdata = remove_underscores(self.wfdata)
-        # check for gaps and doubled channels
-        check4gaps(self.wfdata)
-        check4doubled(self.wfdata)
         # check for stations with rotated components
         if checkRotated and metadata is not None:
             self.wfdata = check4rotated(self.wfdata, metadata, verbosity=0)
diff --git a/pylot/core/util/widgets.py b/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
index 56dc16dd..d31a2a6e 100644
--- a/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
+++ b/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ class WaveformWidgetPG(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.wfstart, self.wfend = 0, 0
         self.pen_multicursor = self.pg.mkPen(self.parent()._style['multicursor']['rgba'])
         self.pen_linecolor = self.pg.mkPen(self.parent()._style['linecolor']['rgba'])
+        self.pen_linecolor_highlight = self.pg.mkPen((255, 100, 100, 255))
         self.pen_linecolor_syn = self.pg.mkPen((100, 0, 255, 255))
         self.reinitMoveProxy()
         self._proxy = self.pg.SignalProxy(self.plotWidget.scene().sigMouseMoved, rateLimit=60, slot=self.mouseMoved)
@@ -529,6 +530,14 @@ class WaveformWidgetPG(QtGui.QWidget):
         else:
             st_select = wfdata
 
+        gaps = st_select.get_gaps()
+        if gaps:
+            merged = ['{}.{}.{}.{}'.format(*gap[:4]) for gap in gaps]
+            st_select.merge()
+            print('Merged the following stations because of gaps:')
+            for merged_station in merged:
+                print(merged_station)
+
         # list containing tuples of network, station, channel (for sorting)
         nsc = []
         for trace in st_select:
@@ -590,7 +599,7 @@ class WaveformWidgetPG(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.ylabel = ''
         self.setXLims([0, self.wfend - self.wfstart])
         self.setYLims([0.5, nmax + 0.5])
-        return plots
+        return plots, gaps
 
     def minMax(self, trace, time_ax):
         '''
@@ -1013,6 +1022,14 @@ class PylotCanvas(FigureCanvas):
         if mapping:
             plot_positions = self.calcPlotPositions(st_select, compclass)
 
+        gaps = st_select.get_gaps()
+        if gaps:
+            merged = ['{}.{}.{}.{}'.format(*gap[:4]) for gap in gaps]
+            st_select.merge()
+            print('Merged the following stations because of gaps:')
+            for merged_station in merged:
+                print(merged_station)
+
         # list containing tuples of network, station, channel and plot position (for sorting)
         nsc = []
         for plot_pos, trace in enumerate(st_select):