diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/AlignAndFocusPowder.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/AlignAndFocusPowder.cpp
index c409e093273a38e54792ad3e07a152ff23429577..ffd7fc08048b894f0a3598a176c57ca419ad4b41 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/AlignAndFocusPowder.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/WorkflowAlgorithms/src/AlignAndFocusPowder.cpp
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ namespace WorkflowAlgorithms
     m_progress->report();
 
     // edit the instrument geometry
-    if (m_l1 > 0 || !tths.empty() || !l2s.empty() || !phis.empty())
+    if (m_groupWS && (m_l1 > 0 || !tths.empty() || !l2s.empty() || !phis.empty()))
     {
       size_t numreg = m_outputW->getNumberHistograms();