diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.java b/src/main/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.java
index e6b6ba36a..8e10db5ea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.java
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
 
 public class SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController
 {
+
+	public static final int LABEL_ID_OFFSET = 1;
+
 	private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger( MethodHandles.lookup().lookupClass() );
 
 	private final Model model;
@@ -185,16 +188,16 @@ private int getLabelId( final Spot spot, final LabelOptions option )
 		switch ( option )
 		{
 		case SPOT_ID:
-			return spot.getInternalPoolIndex();
+			return spot.getInternalPoolIndex() + LABEL_ID_OFFSET;
 		case BRANCH_SPOT_ID:
 			BranchSpot ref = model.getBranchGraph().vertexRef();
 			int branchSpotId = model.getBranchGraph().getBranchVertex( spot, ref ).getInternalPoolIndex();
 			model.getBranchGraph().releaseRef( ref ); // NB: optional, but increases performance, when this method is called often
-			return branchSpotId;
+			return branchSpotId + LABEL_ID_OFFSET;
 		case TRACK_ID:
 			if ( trackIdProjection == null )
 				trackIdProjection = getTrackIDFeatureProjection( context, model );
-			return ( int ) trackIdProjection.value( spot );
+			return ( int ) trackIdProjection.value( spot ) + LABEL_ID_OFFSET;
 		default:
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unknown label option: " + option );
 		}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsControllerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsControllerTest.java
index 94d5912a4..dd0669ad5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsControllerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/mastodon/mamut/segment/SegmentUsingEllipsoidsControllerTest.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThrows;
 
 public class SegmentUsingEllipsoidsControllerTest
@@ -47,8 +46,7 @@ public void setUp()
 	{
 		model = new Model();
 		ModelGraph modelGraph = model.getGraph();
-		modelGraph.addVertex(); // NB: dummy vertex with internal pool index 0
-		spot = modelGraph.addVertex(); // NB: internal pool index is 1
+		spot = modelGraph.addVertex();
 		ModelBranchGraph modelBranchGraph = model.getBranchGraph();
 		modelBranchGraph.graphRebuilt();
 		branchSpot = modelBranchGraph.getBranchVertex( spot, modelBranchGraph.vertexRef() );
@@ -78,9 +76,10 @@ public void testSaveEllipsoidSegmentationToFile() throws IOException
 		SCIFIOImgPlus< IntType > imgTrack = getIntTypeSCIFIOImgPlus( imgOpener, outputTrack );
 
 		// check that the spot id / branchSpot id / track id is used as value in the center of the spot
-		assertEquals( spot.getInternalPoolIndex(), imgSpot.getAt( center ).get() );
-		assertEquals( branchSpot.getInternalPoolIndex(), imgBranchSpot.getAt( center ).get() );
-		assertEquals( 1, imgTrack.getAt( center ).get() );
+		assertEquals( spot.getInternalPoolIndex() + SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.LABEL_ID_OFFSET, imgSpot.getAt( center ).get() );
+		assertEquals(
+				branchSpot.getInternalPoolIndex() + SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.LABEL_ID_OFFSET, imgBranchSpot.getAt( center ).get() );
+		assertEquals( SegmentUsingEllipsoidsController.LABEL_ID_OFFSET, imgTrack.getAt( center ).get() );
 		// check that there is no value set outside the ellipsoid of the spot
 		long[] corner = new long[] { 0, 0, 0 };
 		assertEquals( 0, imgSpot.getAt( corner ).get() );