diff --git a/mikecore/DfsFile.py b/mikecore/DfsFile.py
index 8bb13b1..ba848f0 100644
--- a/mikecore/DfsFile.py
+++ b/mikecore/DfsFile.py
@@ -1649,7 +1649,11 @@ def GetItemSpatialAxis(itemPointer):
                 ctypes.byref(y0), 
                 ctypes.byref(dx), 
                 ctypes.byref(dy))
-            axis = DfsAxisEqD2(eumUnit(eumUnitInt.value), xCount.value, x0.value, dx.value, yCount.value, y0.value, dy.value)
+            try:
+                spatial_axis_unit = eumUnit(eumUnitInt.value)
+            except:
+                spatial_axis_unit = eumUnit.eumUmeter
+            axis = DfsAxisEqD2(spatial_axis_unit, xCount.value, x0.value, dx.value, yCount.value, y0.value, dy.value)
             return (axis)
 
         if axisType == SpaceAxisType.NeqD2:
diff --git a/testdata/shoreline_profile.dfs2 b/testdata/shoreline_profile.dfs2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d70b8b5
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/shoreline_profile.dfs2 differ
diff --git a/tests/test_shoreline.py b/tests/test_shoreline.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d321c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_shoreline.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from mikecore.DfsFileFactory import DfsFileFactory
+
+
+def test_read_shoreline_profile_dfs2():
+
+
+    # this file has a problematic spatial axis unit
+    filename = "testdata/shoreline_profile.dfs2"
+
+    dfs2File = DfsFileFactory.Dfs2FileOpen(filename)
+
+    assert dfs2File.SpatialAxis.XCount == 300
+    assert dfs2File.SpatialAxis.YCount == 120
\ No newline at end of file