diff --git a/smodels/statistics/statsTools.py b/smodels/statistics/statsTools.py
index 2b0c4c2b2..b7a275be2 100755
--- a/smodels/statistics/statsTools.py
+++ b/smodels/statistics/statsTools.py
@@ -223,11 +223,11 @@ def getComputerPyhf(self ):
         for jsName in globalInfo.jsonFiles:
             jsonSRs = []
             for ir,region in enumerate ( globalInfo.jsonFiles[jsName] ): 
+                if isinstance(region,dict) and not ("type" in region):
+                    region["type"]="SR"
                 if isinstance(region,str):
                     region = { "smodels": region, "type": "SR" }                    
-                elif isinstance(region,dict) and not ("type" in region):
-                    region["type"]="SR"
-                else:
+                elif not isinstance(region,dict):
                     raise SModelSError("The jsonFiles field should contain lists \
                                        of strings or dictionaries \
                                        (%s is not allowed)" %type(region))