diff --git a/inc/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.h b/inc/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.h
index 1aefdc55..2f994a6d 100644
--- a/inc/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.h
+++ b/inc/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.h
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@
 
 #include <TCanvas.h>
 #include <TH1D.h>
-#include <TRestDetectorGas.h>
-#include <TRestDetectorHitsEvent.h>
-#include <TRestDetectorReadout.h>
-#include <TRestDetectorSignalEvent.h>
 #include <TRestEventProcess.h>
 
+#include "TRestDetectorGas.h"
+#include "TRestDetectorHitsEvent.h"
+#include "TRestDetectorReadout.h"
+#include "TRestDetectorSignalEvent.h"
+
 //! An analysis REST process to extract valuable information from Hits type of data.
 class TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess : public TRestEventProcess {
    private:
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ class TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess : public TRestEventProcess {
     TVector3 fFiducialPosition;
     Double_t fFiducialDiameter = 0;
     bool fRemoveZeroEnergyEvents = false;
+    /// \brief If true, the Z coordinate will be ignored when checking if a position is inside the readout.
+    /// This is required if processing experimental data where only relative z is available.
+    bool fIgnoreZ = false;
 
     TRestDetectorReadout* fReadout = nullptr;  //!
 
@@ -48,7 +52,7 @@ class TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess : public TRestEventProcess {
 
     ~TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess() override = default;
 
-    ClassDefOverride(TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess, 2);
+    ClassDefOverride(TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess, 3);
 };
 
 #endif  // REST_TRESTDETECTORHITSREADOUTANALYSISPROCESS_H
diff --git a/src/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.cxx b/src/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.cxx
index b163bda8..ef371fab 100644
--- a/src/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.cxx
+++ b/src/TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess.cxx
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ TRestEvent* TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess::ProcessEvent(TRestEvent* in
                  << "Negative energy found in hit " << hitIndex << endl;
             exit(1);
         }
-
-        const auto daqId = fReadout->GetDaqId(position, false);
+        // when working with hits derived from experimental data, only relative z is available, so it cannot
+        // be used to check if a position is inside the readout. We use z=0 in this case which in most cases
+        // is inside.
+        const auto daqId =
+            fReadout->GetDaqId({position.X(), position.Y(), fIgnoreZ ? 0 : position.Z()}, false);
         const auto channelType = fReadout->GetTypeForChannelDaqId(daqId);
         const bool isValidHit = channelType == fChannelType;
 
@@ -156,6 +159,7 @@ void TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess::PrintMetadata() {
 
 void TRestDetectorHitsReadoutAnalysisProcess::InitFromConfigFile() {
     fRemoveZeroEnergyEvents = StringToBool(GetParameter("removeZeroEnergyEvents", "false"));
+    fIgnoreZ = StringToBool(GetParameter("ignoreZ", "false"));
     fChannelType = GetParameter("channelType", fChannelType);
     fFiducialPosition = Get3DVectorParameterWithUnits("fiducialPosition", fFiducialPosition);
     fFiducialDiameter = GetDblParameterWithUnits("fiducialDiameter", fFiducialDiameter);