diff --git a/extensions/chaeo/examples/export_patch_focus_metrics.py b/extensions/chaeo/examples/export_patch_focus_metrics.py
index 36e2ab766b8ee58d2118b6ae0f0bd861964ee637..6c963e8b51dceb4f195776ff6c3ccab549448727 100644
--- a/extensions/chaeo/examples/export_patch_focus_metrics.py
+++ b/extensions/chaeo/examples/export_patch_focus_metrics.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             'mask_type': 'boxes',
             'zmask_filters': {'area': (1e3, 1e8)},
             'zmask_expand_box_by': (128, 3),
-            'annotate_focus_metric': 'rms_sobel'
+            'annotate_focus_metric': 'max_sobel'
         }
 
         result = export_patch_focus_metrics_from_multichannel_zstack(**export_kwargs)
diff --git a/extensions/chaeo/products.py b/extensions/chaeo/products.py
index df2ac7dccb97200bd2371a43a5e6b8ab040e80d4..d0ec388a90d9e07b9082a060e67afc6acc1ac6e0 100644
--- a/extensions/chaeo/products.py
+++ b/extensions/chaeo/products.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def export_3d_patches_with_focus_metrics(
     Export 3D patches as multi-level z-stacks, along with CSV of various focus methods for each z-position
 
     :param kwargs:
-        annotate_focus_metric: name focus metric to use when drawing bounding box at optimal focus z-position
+    annotate_focus_metric: name focus metric to use when drawing bounding box at optimal focus z-position
     :return:
         list of exported files
     """
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ def export_3d_patches_with_focus_metrics(
         me_df = pd.DataFrame(me_dict).T
 
         # drawing bounding box only on focused slice
-        if ak := kwargs.get('annotate_focus_metric') in me_dict.keys():
+        ak = kwargs.get('annotate_focus_metric')
+        if ak and ak in me_df.columns:
             zi_foc = me_df.idxmax().to_dict()[ak]
             patch[:, :, 0, zi_foc] = draw_box_on_patch(
                 patch[:, :, 0, zi_foc],