diff --git a/fsl/data/gifti.py b/fsl/data/gifti.py
index 2d1f3856d5ddae797b271a4cf79c4b14a12faf8b..4f8cc2f912402a3b5d2ce812605009fca82b146f 100644
--- a/fsl/data/gifti.py
+++ b/fsl/data/gifti.py
@@ -102,8 +102,11 @@ class GiftiMesh(fslmesh.Mesh):
         # as the specfiied one.
         if loadAll:
 
+            # Only attempt to auto-load sensibly
+            # named gifti files (i.e. *.surf.gii,
+            # rather than *.gii).
+            surfFiles = relatedFiles(infile, [ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS[0]])
             nvertices = vertices[0].shape[0]
-            surfFiles = relatedFiles(infile, ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS)
 
             for sfile in surfFiles: