diff --git a/definitions/grib2/template.7.2.def b/definitions/grib2/template.7.2.def
index 3568ed355..c131daf02 100644
--- a/definitions/grib2/template.7.2.def
+++ b/definitions/grib2/template.7.2.def
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ alias data.packedValues = codedValues;
 
 template statistics "common/statistics_grid.def";
 if(missingValueManagementUsed) {
-    remove numberOfMissing;
+    #remove numberOfMissing;
+    #remove numberOfMissingValues;
     meta numberOfMissing count_missing(bitmap,unusedBitsInBitmap,numberOfDataPoints,missingValueManagementUsed) : dump;
     alias numberOfMissingValues=numberOfMissing;
 }
diff --git a/definitions/grib2/template.7.3.def b/definitions/grib2/template.7.3.def
index e1df27244..afada6614 100644
--- a/definitions/grib2/template.7.3.def
+++ b/definitions/grib2/template.7.3.def
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ alias data.packedValues=codedValues;
 
 template statistics "common/statistics_grid.def";
 if(missingValueManagementUsed) {
-    remove numberOfMissing;
+    #remove numberOfMissingValues;
+    #remove numberOfMissing;
     meta numberOfMissing count_missing(bitmap,unusedBitsInBitmap,numberOfDataPoints,missingValueManagementUsed) : dump;
     alias numberOfMissingValues=numberOfMissing;
 }