diff --git a/external/benchmark b/external/benchmark
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..090faecb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/external/benchmark
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 090faecb454fbd6e6e17a75ef8146acb037118d4
diff --git a/src/sfizz/Region.h b/src/sfizz/Region.h
index 3d1a3bae..b308ef00 100644
--- a/src/sfizz/Region.h
+++ b/src/sfizz/Region.h
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ struct Region {
     uint32_t offsetRandom { Default::offsetRandom }; // offset_random
     uint32_t sampleEnd { Default::sampleEndRange.getEnd() }; // end
     absl::optional<uint32_t> sampleCount {}; // count
-    SfzLoopMode loopMode { Default::loopMode }; // loopmode
+    absl::optional<SfzLoopMode> loopMode {}; // loopmode
     Range<uint32_t> loopRange { Default::loopRange }; //loopstart and loopend
 
     // Instrument settings: voice lifecycle
diff --git a/src/sfizz/Synth.cpp b/src/sfizz/Synth.cpp
index e44d28c5..36330b45 100644
--- a/src/sfizz/Synth.cpp
+++ b/src/sfizz/Synth.cpp
@@ -252,11 +252,17 @@ bool sfz::Synth::loadSfzFile(const fs::path& filename)
             }
             region->sampleEnd = std::min(region->sampleEnd, fileInformation->end);
 
-            if (region->loopRange.getStart() == Default::loopRange.getStart())
-                region->loopRange.setStart(fileInformation->loopBegin);
+            if (fileInformation->loopBegin != Default::loopRange.getStart() && 
+                fileInformation->loopEnd != Default::loopRange.getEnd()) {
+                if (region->loopRange.getStart() == Default::loopRange.getStart())
+                    region->loopRange.setStart(fileInformation->loopBegin);
 
-            if (region->loopRange.getEnd() == Default::loopRange.getEnd())
-                region->loopRange.setEnd(fileInformation->loopEnd);
+                if (region->loopRange.getEnd() == Default::loopRange.getEnd())
+                    region->loopRange.setEnd(fileInformation->loopEnd);
+                
+                if (!region->loopMode)
+                    region->loopMode = SfzLoopMode::loop_continuous;
+            }
             
             if (fileInformation->numChannels == 2)
                 region->isStereo = true;
diff --git a/tests/RegionT.cpp b/tests/RegionT.cpp
index 6bae7cd9..0a8ceb69 100644
--- a/tests/RegionT.cpp
+++ b/tests/RegionT.cpp
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ TEST_CASE("[Region] Parsing opcodes")
 
     SECTION("loop_mode")
     {
-        REQUIRE(region.loopMode == SfzLoopMode::no_loop);
+        REQUIRE( !region.loopMode );
         region.parseOpcode({ "loop_mode", "no_loop" });
         REQUIRE(region.loopMode == SfzLoopMode::no_loop);
         region.parseOpcode({ "loop_mode", "one_shot" });
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ TEST_CASE("[Region] Parsing opcodes")
 
     SECTION("loopmode")
     {
-        REQUIRE(region.loopMode == SfzLoopMode::no_loop);
+        REQUIRE( !region.loopMode );
         region.parseOpcode({ "loopmode", "no_loop" });
         REQUIRE(region.loopMode == SfzLoopMode::no_loop);
         region.parseOpcode({ "loopmode", "one_shot" });