diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/runtime/controlprogram/federated/FederatedWorkerHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/runtime/controlprogram/federated/FederatedWorkerHandler.java
index b09b75d..fb8c494 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/runtime/controlprogram/federated/FederatedWorkerHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/sysds/runtime/controlprogram/federated/FederatedWorkerHandler.java
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@
 							new FederatedWorkerHandlerException("Could not parse metadata file"));
 					mc.setRows(mtd.getLong(DataExpression.READROWPARAM));
 					mc.setCols(mtd.getLong(DataExpression.READCOLPARAM));
+					mc.setNonZeros(mtd.getLong(DataExpression.READNNZPARAM));
 					cd = (CacheableData<?>) PrivacyPropagator.parseAndSetPrivacyConstraint(cd, mtd);
 					fmt = FileFormat.safeValueOf(mtd.getString(DataExpression.FORMAT_TYPE));
 				}