diff --git a/safetensors_file.py b/safetensors_file.py
index 782a1eb..34e7b58 100644
--- a/safetensors_file.py
+++ b/safetensors_file.py
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ def parse_object_pairs(pairs):
             raise SafeTensorsException.invalid_file(self.filename,"duplicate keys in header")
 
     @staticmethod
-    def open_file(filename:str,quiet=False):
+    def open_file(filename:str,quiet=False,parseHeader=True):
         s=SafeTensorsFile()
-        s.open(filename,quiet)
+        s.open(filename,quiet,parseHeader)
         return s
 
-    def open(self,fn:str,quiet=False)->int:
+    def open(self,fn:str,quiet=False,parseHeader=True)->int:
         st=os.stat(fn)
         if st.st_size<8: #test file: zero_len_file.safetensors
             raise SafeTensorsException.invalid_file(fn,"length less than 8 bytes")
@@ -93,13 +93,12 @@ def open(self,fn:str,quiet=False)->int:
         self.hdrbuf=hdrbuf
         self.error=0
         self.headerlen=headerlen
+        if parseHeader==True:
+            self._CheckDuplicateHeaderKeys()
+            self.header=json.loads(self.hdrbuf)
         return 0
 
     def get_header(self):
-        if self.header is not None: return self.header
-        if self.hdrbuf is None: raise Exception("SafetensorsFile no header buffer")
-        self._CheckDuplicateHeaderKeys()
-        self.header=json.loads(self.hdrbuf)
         return self.header
 
     def load_one_tensor(self,tensor_name:str):
diff --git a/safetensors_util.py b/safetensors_util.py
index ffd7310..7d1ce69 100644
--- a/safetensors_util.py
+++ b/safetensors_util.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
                         help="Quiet mode, don't print informational stuff" )
 
 @click.group()
-@click.version_option(version=6)
+@click.version_option(version=7)
 @quiet_flag
 
 @click.pass_context
diff --git a/safetensors_worker.py b/safetensors_worker.py
index 82c3a66..f0b0de6 100644
--- a/safetensors_worker.py
+++ b/safetensors_worker.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ def WriteMetadataToHeader(cmdLine:dict,in_st_file:str,in_json_file:str,output_fi
 
     s=SafeTensorsFile.open_file(in_st_file)
     js=s.get_header()
-    if js is None: return -1
 
     if inmeta==[]:
         js.pop("__metadata__",0)
@@ -57,8 +56,6 @@ def WriteMetadataToHeader(cmdLine:dict,in_st_file:str,in_json_file:str,output_fi
 def PrintHeader(cmdLine:dict,input_file:str) -> int:
     s=SafeTensorsFile.open_file(input_file,cmdLine['quiet'])
     js=s.get_header()
-    if js is None: return -1
-
 
     # All the .safetensors files I've seen have long key names, and as a result,
     # neither json nor pprint package prints text in very readable format,
@@ -108,7 +105,6 @@ def _ParseMore(d:dict):
 def PrintMetadata(cmdLine:dict,input_file:str) -> int:
     with SafeTensorsFile.open_file(input_file,cmdLine['quiet']) as s:
         js=s.get_header()
-        if js is None: return -1
 
         if not "__metadata__" in js:
             print("file header does not contain a __metadata__ item",file=sys.stderr)
@@ -123,7 +119,6 @@ def PrintMetadata(cmdLine:dict,input_file:str) -> int:
 def HeaderKeysToLists(cmdLine:dict,input_file:str) -> int:
     s=SafeTensorsFile.open_file(input_file,cmdLine['quiet'])
     js=s.get_header()
-    if js is None: return -1
 
     _lora_keys:list[tuple(str,bool)]=[] # use list to sort by name
     for key in js:
@@ -156,7 +151,7 @@ def printkeylist(kl):
 def ExtractHeader(cmdLine:dict,input_file:str,output_file:str)->int:
     if _need_force_overwrite(output_file,cmdLine): return -1
 
-    s=SafeTensorsFile.open_file(input_file)
+    s=SafeTensorsFile.open_file(input_file,parseHeader=False)
     if s.error!=0: return s.error
 
     hdrbuf=s.hdrbuf
@@ -171,10 +166,8 @@ def ExtractHeader(cmdLine:dict,input_file:str,output_file:str)->int:
 
 
 def _CheckLoRA_internal(s:SafeTensorsFile)->int:
-    js=s.get_header()
-    if js is None: return -1
-
     import lora_keys
+    js=s.get_header()
     set_scalar=set()
     set_nonscalar=set()
     for x in lora_keys._lora_keys: