diff --git a/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp b/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp
index 808683c..a212a6b 100644
--- a/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -859,7 +859,9 @@ void MainWindow::on_actionImport_parameters_triggered() {
     nlohmann::json j = fileio::OpenSettingsJson(fileName.toStdString());
 
     SimulationManager m = JSONUtils::JsonToManager(j);
+    auto structure = Manager->simulationCell()->crystalStructure();
     *Manager = m;
+    Manager->setStructure(structure);
 
     updateGuiFromManager();
 }
@@ -1016,6 +1018,8 @@ void MainWindow::on_actionImport_default_triggered(bool preserve_ui) {
     if(config_location.endsWith("/"))
         config_location.chop(1);
 
+    auto structure = Manager->simulationCell()->crystalStructure();
+
     try {
         nlohmann::json j = fileio::OpenSettingsJson(config_location.toStdString() + "/microscopes/" + param_name + ".json");
         *Manager = JSONUtils::JsonToManager(j);
@@ -1025,6 +1029,8 @@ void MainWindow::on_actionImport_default_triggered(bool preserve_ui) {
         Manager = std::make_shared<SimulationManager>();
     }
 
+    Manager->setStructure(structure);
+
     if (!preserve_ui)
         updateGuiFromManager();
 }
diff --git a/src/simulation/simulationmanager.cpp b/src/simulation/simulationmanager.cpp
index 43766bf..4eee839 100644
--- a/src/simulation/simulationmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/simulation/simulationmanager.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,27 @@ SimulationManager &SimulationManager::operator=(const SimulationManager &sm) {
     return *this;
 }
 
+void SimulationManager::setStructure(std::shared_ptr<CrystalStructure> struc_ptr) {
+    // lock this in case we need multiple devices to load this structure
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(structure_mutex);
+
+    simulation_cell->setCrystalStructure(struc_ptr);
+
+    if (simulation_cell->crystalStructure() && !maintain_area) {
+        auto x_lims = simulation_cell->crystalStructure()->limitsX();
+        auto y_lims = simulation_cell->crystalStructure()->limitsY();
+
+        simulationArea()->setRawLimitsX(x_lims[0], x_lims[1]);
+        simulationArea()->setRawLimitsY(y_lims[0], y_lims[1]);
+
+        stemArea()->setRawLimitsX(x_lims[0], x_lims[1]);
+        stemArea()->setRawLimitsY(y_lims[0], y_lims[1]);
+
+        cbedPosition()->setXPos((x_lims[0] + x_lims[1]) / 2);
+        cbedPosition()->setYPos((y_lims[0] + y_lims[1]) / 2);
+    }
+}
+
 void SimulationManager::setStructure(std::string filePath, CIF::SuperCellInfo info, bool fix_cif)
 {
     // lock this in case we need multiple devices to load this structure
diff --git a/src/simulation/simulationmanager.h b/src/simulation/simulationmanager.h
index 2b5cf4e..1e47159 100644
--- a/src/simulation/simulationmanager.h
+++ b/src/simulation/simulationmanager.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class SimulationManager
     std::shared_ptr<IncoherentEffects> incoherenceEffects() {return incoherence_effects;}
 
     // structure setters
+    void setStructure(std::shared_ptr<CrystalStructure> struc_ptr);
     void setStructure(std::string fPath, CIF::SuperCellInfo info = CIF::SuperCellInfo(), bool fix_cif=false);
     void setStructure(CIF::CIFReader cif, CIF::SuperCellInfo info);
 
diff --git a/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.cpp b/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.cpp
index 5dfe514..5c7691d 100644
--- a/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.cpp
+++ b/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.cpp
@@ -93,3 +93,10 @@ void SimulationCell::setCrystalStructure(std::string &file_path, CIF::SuperCellI
 void SimulationCell::setCrystalStructure(CIF::CIFReader cif, CIF::SuperCellInfo info) {
     crystal_structure.reset(new CrystalStructure(cif, info));
 }
+
+void SimulationCell::setCrystalStructure(std::shared_ptr<CrystalStructure> structure_ptr) {
+    if (structure_ptr)
+        crystal_structure = std::make_shared<CrystalStructure>(*structure_ptr);
+    else
+        crystal_structure = std::shared_ptr<CrystalStructure>();
+}
diff --git a/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.h b/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.h
index 5e86e4c..5fa6579 100644
--- a/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.h
+++ b/src/simulation/structure/simulationcell.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class SimulationCell {
     unsigned int sliceCount();
     unsigned int preSliceCount();
 
+    void setCrystalStructure(std::shared_ptr<CrystalStructure> structure_ptr);
     void setCrystalStructure(std::string &file_path, CIF::SuperCellInfo info = CIF::SuperCellInfo(), bool fix_cif=false);
     void setCrystalStructure(CIF::CIFReader cif, CIF::SuperCellInfo info);
     std::shared_ptr<CrystalStructure> crystalStructure() {return crystal_structure;}