diff --git a/modules/lora/network_pdd.py b/modules/lora/network_pdd.py
index 3ae55c708..86b1744b2 100644
--- a/modules/lora/network_pdd.py
+++ b/modules/lora/network_pdd.py
@@ -87,9 +87,29 @@ def load(name, metadata, state_dict):
     return ParallelHeads(num_steps, block_size, heads)
 
 
+def header_metadata(filename, name):
+    """The metadata read from the file itself, for when the cached metadata lacks the grid; warns when head-shaped tensors have no grid."""
+    from safetensors import safe_open
+    try:
+        with safe_open(filename, framework='pt', device='cpu') as f:
+            metadata = f.metadata() or {}
+            if METADATA_STEPS in metadata:
+                log.debug(f'Network load: type=PDD name="{name}" grid read from the file header')
+            else:
+                heads = sum(1 for key in f.keys() if key.endswith('.weight') and len(f.get_slice(key).get_shape()) == 3)
+                if heads > 0:
+                    log.warning(f'Network load: type=PDD name="{name}" heads={heads} no {METADATA_STEPS} metadata: heads ignored')
+            return metadata
+    except Exception as e:
+        log.warning(f'Network load: type=PDD name="{name}" header {e}')
+        return {}
+
+
 def try_load(name, network_on_disk, lora_scale): # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     """Family loader for the native chain: a network carrying only the heads."""
     metadata = getattr(network_on_disk, 'metadata', None) or {}
+    if METADATA_STEPS not in metadata:
+        metadata = header_metadata(network_on_disk.filename, name) # the metadata cache keeps a failed read forever and --no-metadata returns nothing
     if METADATA_STEPS not in metadata:
         return None
     from modules.lora import native_adapter
diff --git a/test/test-pdd.py b/test/test-pdd.py
index 52a29677b..de5e3d04b 100644
--- a/test/test-pdd.py
+++ b/test/test-pdd.py
@@ -194,6 +194,29 @@ def test_load_without_heads_is_none():
     assert network_pdd.load('x', METADATA, {'transformer_blocks.0.attn.to_q.lora_down': torch.zeros(64, HIDDEN)}) is None
 
 
+def write_pdd_file(folder, metadata):
+    from safetensors.torch import save_file
+    path = os.path.join(folder, 'pdd.safetensors')
+    save_file({'proj_out.weight': torch.zeros(NUM_STEPS, VIDEO_OUT, HIDDEN), 'proj_out.bias': torch.zeros(NUM_STEPS, VIDEO_OUT)}, path, metadata=metadata)
+    return path
+
+
+def test_try_load_reads_the_grid_from_the_file_header():
+    import tempfile
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as folder:
+        disk = types.SimpleNamespace(name='pdd', filename=write_pdd_file(folder, METADATA), metadata={}) # the cached metadata lacks the grid
+        net = network_pdd.try_load('pdd', disk, 1.0)
+        assert net is not None and network_pdd.EXTRAS_KEY in net.extras, 'the grid in the file header must be enough'
+        assert net.extras[network_pdd.EXTRAS_KEY].nfe == NUM_STEPS // BLOCK
+
+
+def test_try_load_without_grid_metadata_is_none():
+    import tempfile
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as folder:
+        disk = types.SimpleNamespace(name='pdd', filename=write_pdd_file(folder, {'alpha': '1'}), metadata={})
+        assert network_pdd.try_load('pdd', disk, 1.0) is None
+
+
 # ============================================================
 # Tests: grid and fusion math
 # ============================================================
@@ -352,7 +375,7 @@ def test_pin_overrides_steps_and_shift():
 
 def main():
     cat = category('detect')
-    for fn in (test_detect_grid, test_detect_rejects_bad_block, test_load_collects_heads, test_load_without_metadata_is_none, test_load_without_heads_is_none):
+    for fn in (test_detect_grid, test_detect_rejects_bad_block, test_load_collects_heads, test_load_without_metadata_is_none, test_load_without_heads_is_none, test_try_load_reads_the_grid_from_the_file_header, test_try_load_without_grid_metadata_is_none):
         run_test(cat, fn)
     cat = category('math')
     for fn in (test_grid_intervals_match_reference, test_steps_for_counts_terminal_sigma, test_parallel_head_matches_reference_per_block, test_parallel_head_strength_blend, test_parallel_head_clamps_overflow, test_parallel_head_keeps_base_out_of_tree):