diff --git a/src/scgenerator/initialize.py b/src/scgenerator/initialize.py
index 9044176..5c54591 100644
--- a/src/scgenerator/initialize.py
+++ b/src/scgenerator/initialize.py
@@ -411,6 +411,27 @@ class RecoveryParamSequence(ParamSequence):
         self.id = task_id
         self.num_steps = 0
 
+        self.prev_sim_dir = None
+        if self.config.prev_sim_dir is not None:
+            self.prev_sim_dir = Path(self.config.prev_sim_dir)
+            init_config = io.load_config(self.prev_sim_dir / "initial_config.toml")
+            self.prev_variable_lists = [
+                (
+                    set(variable_list[1:]),
+                    self.prev_sim_dir / utils.format_variable_list(variable_list),
+                )
+                for variable_list, _ in required_simulations(init_config)
+            ]
+            additional_sims_factor = int(
+                np.prod(
+                    [
+                        len(init_config.variable[k])
+                        for k in (self.config.variable.keys() & init_config.variable.keys())
+                        if init_config.variable[k] != self.config.variable[k]
+                    ]
+                )
+            )
+            self.update_num_sim(self.num_sim * additional_sims_factor)
         not_started = self.num_sim
         sub_folders = io.get_data_dirs(io.get_sim_dir(self.id))
 
@@ -426,18 +447,6 @@ class RecoveryParamSequence(ParamSequence):
         self.num_steps += not_started * self.config.z_num
         self.single_sim = self.num_sim == 1
 
-        self.prev_sim_dir = None
-        if self.config.prev_sim_dir is not None:
-            self.prev_sim_dir = Path(self.config.prev_sim_dir)
-            init_config = io.load_config(self.prev_sim_dir / "initial_config.toml")
-            self.prev_variable_lists = [
-                (
-                    set(variable_list[1:]),
-                    self.prev_sim_dir / utils.format_variable_list(variable_list),
-                )
-                for variable_list, _ in required_simulations(init_config)
-            ]
-
     def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[Tuple[List[Tuple[str, Any]], Params]]:
         for variable_list, bare_params in required_simulations(self.config):
 
@@ -452,7 +461,7 @@ class RecoveryParamSequence(ParamSequence):
             else:
                 continue
 
-    def find_prev_data_dir(self, new_variable_list: List[Tuple[str, Any]]) -> Path:
+    def find_prev_data_dirs(self, new_variable_list: List[Tuple[str, Any]]) -> List[Path]:
         """finds the previous simulation data that this new config should start from
 
         Parameters
@@ -470,16 +479,16 @@ class RecoveryParamSequence(ParamSequence):
         ValueError
             no data folder found
         """
-        if self.prev_sim_dir is None:
-            return None
-        to_test = set(new_variable_list[1:])
-        for old_v_list, path in self.prev_variable_lists:
-            if to_test.issuperset(old_v_list):
-                return path
+        new_set = set(new_variable_list[1:])
+        path_dic = defaultdict(list)
+        max_in_common = 0
+        for stored_set, path in self.prev_variable_lists:
+            in_common = stored_set & new_set
+            num_in_common = len(in_common)
+            max_in_common = max(num_in_common, max_in_common)
+            path_dic[num_in_common].append(path)
 
-        raise ValueError(
-            f"cannot find a previous data folder for {new_variable_list} in {self.prev_sim_dir}"
-        )
+        return path_dic[max_in_common]
 
 
 def validate_config_sequence(*configs: os.PathLike) -> Config: