diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/python/cbc_template_fir.py b/gstlal-inspiral/python/cbc_template_fir.py
index 8526c6b34e7e83dd77a6fad57385cf1366f0d899..39737de598da4934481a0956ed1ddc52527b43f3 100644
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/python/cbc_template_fir.py
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/python/cbc_template_fir.py
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ def generate_templates(template_table, approximant, psd, f_low, time_slices, aut
 	sample_rate_max = max(time_slices['rate'])
 	duration = max(time_slices['end'])
 	length_max = int(round(duration * sample_rate_max))
-
+	if fhigh is None:
+		fhigh = sample_rate_max/2.
 	# Some input checking to avoid incomprehensible error messages
 	if not template_table:
 		raise ValueError("template list is empty")
diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/python/svd_bank.py b/gstlal-inspiral/python/svd_bank.py
index 589de25f857bb4ef9d8b2a84d83c2f6ee8713f95..2887c0977508cba24e280815625c16fbf5a5e143 100644
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/python/svd_bank.py
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/python/svd_bank.py
@@ -240,7 +240,10 @@ def build_bank(template_bank_url, psd, flow, ortho_gate_fap, snr_threshold, svd_
 		sample_rate = sample_rate,
 		verbose=verbose)
 
-	fhigh=check_ffinal_and_find_max_ffinal(bank_xmldoc)
+	if sample_rate is not None:
+		fhigh=check_ffinal_and_find_max_ffinal(bank_xmldoc)
+	else:
+		fhigh=None
 	# Generate templates, perform SVD, get orthogonal basis
 	# and store as Bank object
 	bank = Bank(