diff --git a/src/gui_qt/io/dscreader.py b/src/gui_qt/io/dscreader.py
index b3b0768..a9b83a0 100644
--- a/src/gui_qt/io/dscreader.py
+++ b/src/gui_qt/io/dscreader.py
@@ -78,14 +78,22 @@ class QDSCReader(QtWidgets.QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
 
         for opts in self.sample.steps:
             item = QtWidgets.QListWidgetItem()
-            item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.ItemIsEnabled | QtCore.Qt.ItemIsSelectable | QtCore.Qt.ItemIsUserCheckable)
-            item.setCheckState(QtCore.Qt.Unchecked)
+            item.setFlags(
+                QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsEnabled |
+                QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsSelectable |
+                QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsUserCheckable
+            )
+            item.setCheckState(QtCore.Qt.CheckState.Unchecked)
 
             if opts[0] == 'i':
-                item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.NoItemFlags)
+                item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.NoItemFlags)
                 item.setText(f'{opts[1]:.2f} K for {opts[2] / 60:.0f} min')
             else:
-                item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.ItemIsEnabled | QtCore.Qt.ItemIsSelectable | QtCore.Qt.ItemIsUserCheckable)
+                item.setFlags(
+                    QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsEnabled |
+                    QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsSelectable |
+                    QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsUserCheckable
+                )
                 item.setText(f'{opts[2]:.2f} K to {opts[3]:.2f} K with {opts[1]} K/min')
 
             self.step_listWidget.addItem(item)
@@ -97,7 +105,12 @@ class QDSCReader(QtWidgets.QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
 
         if empty:
             self.empty = self.calibrator.set_measurement(empty, mode='empty')
-            self.empty_label.setText('~/' + str(self.empty.fname.relative_to(Path.home())))
+
+            # avoid ValueError breaking data update
+            if self.empty.fname.is_relative_to(Path.home()):
+                self.empty_label.setText('~/' + str(self.empty.fname.relative_to(Path.home())))
+            else:
+                self.empty_label.setText(str(self.empty.fname))
 
             self.update_plots()
 
@@ -118,8 +131,8 @@ class QDSCReader(QtWidgets.QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
 
             self.references.append(ref)
             item = QtWidgets.QTableWidgetItem(str(ref.fname.name))
-            item.setData(QtCore.Qt.UserRole, ref.fname)
-            item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.ItemIsEnabled)
+            item.setData(QtCore.Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole, ref.fname)
+            item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.ItemFlag.ItemIsEnabled)
 
             rowcnt = self.reference_tableWidget.rowCount()
             self.reference_tableWidget.setRowCount(rowcnt+1)
@@ -132,7 +145,7 @@ class QDSCReader(QtWidgets.QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot(name='on_ref_remove_pushButton_clicked')
     def remove_reference(self):
         idx = self.reference_tableWidget.currentRow()
-        self.calibrator.remove_reference(self.reference_tableWidget.item(idx, 0).data(QtCore.Qt.UserRole))
+        self.calibrator.remove_reference(self.reference_tableWidget.item(idx, 0).data(QtCore.Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole))
 
         self.reference_tableWidget.removeRow(idx)
         self.update_plots()
@@ -145,10 +158,10 @@ class QDSCReader(QtWidgets.QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         for row in range(self.step_listWidget.count()):
             if idx == row:
                 continue
-            self.step_listWidget.item(row).setCheckState(QtCore.Qt.Unchecked)
+            self.step_listWidget.item(row).setCheckState(QtCore.Qt.CheckState.Unchecked)
         self.step_listWidget.blockSignals(False)
 
-        if item.checkState() == QtCore.Qt.Checked:
+        if item.checkState() == QtCore.Qt.CheckState.Checked:
             mode, rate, _, _ = self.sample.steps[idx]
             self.current_run = (rate, mode)
             self.sample_idx = idx
@@ -217,6 +230,8 @@ class QDSCReader(QtWidgets.QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
 
         if empty_data is not None:
             self.empty_sample.setData(x=empty_data[0], y=empty_data[1])
+        else:
+            self.empty_sample.setData(x=[], y=[])
 
         self.calib_graph.clear()