diff --git a/geoarray/baseclasses.py b/geoarray/baseclasses.py
index 26e0f68b31f261d77dfd6e2c51ffe50e5581f4e2..69f3ca130e4bfc79c4737aea4e297305d07eb1c3 100644
--- a/geoarray/baseclasses.py
+++ b/geoarray/baseclasses.py
@@ -1471,6 +1471,9 @@ class GeoArray(object):
         yslicing = yslice.start is not None or yslice.stop is not None or yslice.step is not None  # type: bool
         zslicing = zslice.start is not None or zslice.stop is not None or zslice.step is not None  # type: bool
 
+        # get array subset #
+        ####################
+
         # get sub_arr
         if zslicing:
             # validation
@@ -1484,25 +1487,26 @@ class GeoArray(object):
         if sub_arr is None:
             raise ValueError('Unable to return an array for the given slice parameters.')
 
+        # copy GeoArray instance #
+        ##########################
+
         # get deepcopy of self (but without slowly copying the full-size self.arr)
         # -> cache self.arr, overwrite with subset, quickly create sub_gA and recreate self.arr
         # -> do the same with attributes 'mask_nodata' and 'mask_baddata'
+        from .masks import NoDataMask, BadDataMask
         full_arr = self.arr
-        self.arr = sub_arr
+        full_mask_nodata = self._mask_nodata
+        full_mask_baddata = self._mask_baddata
 
-        from .masks import NoDataMask, BadDataMask
-        full_mask_nodata = None
+        self.arr = sub_arr
         if isinstance(self._mask_nodata, NoDataMask):  # avoid computing it here by using private
-            full_mask_nodata = self._mask_nodata
             self._mask_nodata = self._mask_nodata.get_subset(xslice=xslice, yslice=yslice)
-        full_mask_baddata = None
         if isinstance(self._mask_baddata, BadDataMask):  # avoid computing it here by using private
-            full_mask_baddata = self._mask_baddata
             self._mask_baddata = self._mask_baddata.get_subset(xslice=xslice, yslice=yslice)
 
         sub_gA = deepcopy(self)  # do not copy any references, otherwise numpy arrays would be copied as views
 
-        self.arr = full_arr
+        self._arr = full_arr
         if isinstance(self._mask_nodata, NoDataMask):
             self._mask_nodata = full_mask_nodata
         if isinstance(self._mask_baddata, BadDataMask):
@@ -1511,6 +1515,9 @@ class GeoArray(object):
         # numpy array references need to be cleared separately (also called by self._mask_nodata.get_subset() above)
         sub_gA.deepcopy_array()
 
+        # handle metadata #
+        ###################
+
         # adapt geotransform
         sub_ulXY = imXY2mapXY((xslice.start or 0, yslice.start or 0), self.gt)
         sub_gt = (sub_ulXY[0], self.gt[1], self.gt[2], sub_ulXY[1], self.gt[4], self.gt[5])