diff --git a/hexrd/imageseries/load/framecache.py b/hexrd/imageseries/load/framecache.py
index b6435942d..9dee77a3b 100644
--- a/hexrd/imageseries/load/framecache.py
+++ b/hexrd/imageseries/load/framecache.py
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@ def __init__(self, fname, style='npz', **kwargs):
         *kwargs* - keyword arguments (none required)
         """
         self._fname = fname
+        self._framelist = []
         if style.lower() in ('yml', 'yaml', 'test'):
+            self._from_yml = True
             self._load_yml()
-            self._load_cache(from_yml=True)
         else:
+            self._from_yml = False
             self._load_cache()
 
     def _load_yml(self):
@@ -38,62 +40,65 @@ def _load_yml(self):
         self._dtype = np.dtype(datad['dtype'])
         self._meta = yamlmeta(d['meta'], path=self._cache)
 
-    def _load_cache(self, from_yml=False):
+    def _load_cache(self):
+        arrs = np.load(self._fname)
+        # HACK: while the loaded npz file has a getitem method
+        # that mimicks a dict, it doesn't have a "pop" method.
+        # must make an empty dict to pop after assignment of
+        # class attributes so we can get to the metadata
+        keysd = dict.fromkeys(list(arrs.keys()))
+        self._nframes = int(arrs['nframes'])
+        self._shape = tuple(arrs['shape'])
+        # Check the type so we can read files written
+        # using Python 2.7
+        array_dtype = arrs['dtype'].dtype
+        # Python 3
+        if array_dtype.type == np.str_:
+            dtype_str = str(arrs['dtype'])
+        # Python 2.7
+        else:
+            dtype_str = arrs['dtype'].tobytes().decode()
+        self._dtype = np.dtype(dtype_str)
+
+        keysd.pop('nframes')
+        keysd.pop('shape')
+        keysd.pop('dtype')
+        for i in range(self._nframes):
+            keysd.pop(f"{i}_row")
+            keysd.pop(f"{i}_col")
+            keysd.pop(f"{i}_data")
+
+        # all rmaining keys should be metadata
+        for key in keysd:
+            keysd[key] = arrs[key]
+        self._meta = keysd
+
+    def _load_framelist(self):
         """load into list of csr sparse matrices"""
         self._framelist = []
-        if from_yml:
+        if self._from_yml:
             bpath = os.path.dirname(self._fname)
             if os.path.isabs(self._cache):
                 cachepath = self._cache
             else:
                 cachepath = os.path.join(bpath, self._cache)
             arrs = np.load(cachepath)
-
-            for i in range(self._nframes):
-                row = arrs["%d_row" % i]
-                col = arrs["%d_col" % i]
-                data = arrs["%d_data" % i]
-                frame = csr_matrix((data, (row, col)),
-                                   shape=self._shape, dtype=self._dtype)
-                self._framelist.append(frame)
         else:
             arrs = np.load(self._fname)
-            # HACK: while the loaded npz file has a getitem method
-            # that mimicks a dict, it doesn't have a "pop" method.
-            # must make an empty dict to pop after assignment of
-            # class attributes so we can get to the metadata
-            keysd = dict.fromkeys(list(arrs.keys()))
-            self._nframes = int(arrs['nframes'])
-            self._shape = tuple(arrs['shape'])
-            # Check the type so we can read files written
-            # using Python 2.7
-            array_dtype = arrs['dtype'].dtype
-            # Python 3
-            if array_dtype.type == np.str_:
-                dtype_str = str(arrs['dtype'])
-            # Python 2.7
-            else:
-                dtype_str = arrs['dtype'].tobytes().decode()
-            self._dtype = np.dtype(dtype_str)
-            keysd.pop('nframes')
-            keysd.pop('shape')
-            keysd.pop('dtype')
-            for i in range(self._nframes):
-                row = arrs["%d_row" % i]
-                col = arrs["%d_col" % i]
-                data = arrs["%d_data" % i]
-                keysd.pop("%d_row" % i)
-                keysd.pop("%d_col" % i)
-                keysd.pop("%d_data" % i)
-                frame = csr_matrix((data, (row, col)),
-                                   shape=self._shape,
-                                   dtype=self._dtype)
-                self._framelist.append(frame)
-            # all rmaining keys should be metadata
-            for key in keysd:
-                keysd[key] = arrs[key]
-            self._meta = keysd
 
+        for i in range(self._nframes):
+            row = arrs[f"{i}_row"]
+            col = arrs[f"{i}_col"]
+            data = arrs[f"{i}_data"]
+            frame = csr_matrix((data, (row, col)),
+                               shape=self._shape,
+                               dtype=self._dtype)
+            self._framelist.append(frame)
+
+    @property
+    def _framelist_was_loaded(self):
+        # Just assume that if the framelist is empty, it wasn't loaded...
+        return len(self._framelist) > 0
 
     @property
     def metadata(self):
@@ -127,6 +132,9 @@ def shape(self):
         return self._shape
 
     def __getitem__(self, key):
+        if not self._framelist_was_loaded:
+            # Load the framelist now
+            self._load_framelist()
         return self._framelist[key].toarray()
 
     def __iter__(self):