diff --git a/MATLAB/beefblup.m b/MATLAB/beefblup.m
index 6f1848f..dbf7cca 100644
--- a/MATLAB/beefblup.m
+++ b/MATLAB/beefblup.m
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ end
 
 % Find any columns that need to be deleted
 for i = 7:length(headers)
-    if length(unique(data(:,i))) <= 1
+    if length(uniquecell(data(:,i))) <= 1
         colname = headers{i};
         disp(['Column "' colname '" does not have any unique animals and will be removed from this analysis.']);
         colstodelete = [colstodelete i]; 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ headers(colstodelete) = [];
 % Determine how many contemporary groups there are
 numgroups = ones(1, length(headers)-5);
 for i = 6:length(headers)
-    numgroups(i) = length(unique(data(:,i)));
+    numgroups(i-5) = length(uniquecell(data(:,i)));
 end
 
 % If there are more groups than animals, then the analysis cannot continue
diff --git a/MATLAB/uniquecell.m b/MATLAB/uniquecell.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5beae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MATLAB/uniquecell.m
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+% uniquenan
+% Serves the same purpose as UNIQUE, but ensures any empty cells are not
+% counted
+function y = uniquecell(x)
+y = unique(x);
+if any(cellfun(@isempty, y))
+    y(cellfun(@isempty, y)) = [];
+end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/MATLAB/uniquenan.m b/MATLAB/uniquenan.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..160a430
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MATLAB/uniquenan.m
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+% uniquenan
+% Serves the same purpose as UNIQUE, but ensures any NaN fields are not
+% counted
+function y = uniquenan(x)
+y = unique(x);
+if any(isnan(y))
+    y(isnan(y)) = [];
+    y(end + 1) = NaN;
+end
+end
\ No newline at end of file