diff --git a/model_server/base/accessors.py b/model_server/base/accessors.py
index 04daa7a2d540d8f5bb17c40df484d3f0650bffbc..95a0422f64e28a8e3818e41d1f306b2b0f196bd0 100644
--- a/model_server/base/accessors.py
+++ b/model_server/base/accessors.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class GenericImageDataAccessor(ABC):
 
     # TODO: no direct calls to self._data outside load/unload methods
     def is_mask(self):
-        return is_mask(self._data)
+        return is_mask(self.data)
 
     def can_mask(self, acc):
         return self.is_mask() and self.shape == acc.get_mono(0).shape
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class GenericImageDataAccessor(ABC):
 
     @property
     def shape(self):
-        return self._data.shape
+        return self.data.shape
 
     @property
     def shape_dict(self):
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ class GenericImageFileAccessor(GenericImageDataAccessor): # image data is loaded
 
     @property
     def data(self):
+        """
+        Load from file if not loaded already; return data as 4d with axes in order of Y, X, C, Z
+        """
         if self._data is None:
             self.load()
         return self._data
@@ -520,9 +523,9 @@ class PatchStack(InMemoryDataAccessor):
 
     def get_list(self, crop=True):
         if crop:
-            return [self._data[i][self._slices[i]] for i in range(0, self.count)]
+            return [self.data[i][self._slices[i]] for i in range(0, self.count)]
         else:
-            return [self._data[i] for i in range(0, self.count)]
+            return [self.data[i] for i in range(0, self.count)]
 
     @property
     def pyxcz(self):
diff --git a/tests/base/test_accessors.py b/tests/base/test_accessors.py
index c70e2d6798e01bca7f9a3538cf4b5b1c5079e94e..2d9e9a6d2e6248021fdacef21e6024a3ca6d26a9 100644
--- a/tests/base/test_accessors.py
+++ b/tests/base/test_accessors.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class TestCziImageFileAccess(unittest.TestCase):
         acc_cf = generate_file_accessor(data['czifile']['path'], lazy=True)
         self.assertEqual(acc_cf._data, None)
         self.assertEqual(acc_cf._metadata, None)
-        acc_cf.load()
+        nda = acc_cf.data
         self.assertIsNotNone(acc_cf._data)
         self.assertIsNotNone(acc_cf._metadata)
         self.assertIsInstance(acc_cf._data, np.ndarray)