diff --git a/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py b/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py
index 54fc1179eceba0665fc94f7476efa4e34476c752..8cad56b23bae54b85eeaafc508a66aadb3a0aad2 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/dlcdefs.py
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ def excel_stabcon(proot, fext='xlsx', pignore=None, pinclude=None, sheet=0,
             t0 = float(tags_dict['[t0]'])
             tags_dict['[duration]'] = str(t_stop - t0)
             # in case there is a controller input file defined
-            if ['[controller_tuning_file]'] in tags_dict:
+            if '[controller_tuning_file]' in tags_dict:
                 hs2 = hawcstab2.ReadControlTuning()
                 hs2.read_parameters(tags_dict['[controller_tuning_file]'])
                 tags_dict['[pi_gen_reg1.K]'] = hs2.pi_gen_reg1.K