diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/sorters/basesorter.py b/src/spikeinterface/sorters/basesorter.py
index c0cd231441..d0ec68533d 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/sorters/basesorter.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/sorters/basesorter.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 from spikeinterface.core import load, BaseRecordingSnippets, BaseRecording
 from spikeinterface.core.core_tools import check_json
+from spikeinterface.core.recording_tools import get_rec_attributes
 from spikeinterface.core.globals import get_global_job_kwargs
 from spikeinterface.core.job_tools import fix_job_kwargs, split_job_kwargs
 from .utils import SpikeSortingError, ShellScript
@@ -154,6 +155,11 @@ def initialize_folder(cls, recording, output_folder, verbose, remove_existing_fo
                 "compatible binary file."
             )
 
+        # save recording attributes in case the recording is not serializable or removed after sorting
+        rec_attributes = get_rec_attributes(recording)
+        rec_attributes_file = output_folder / "recording_attributes.json"
+        rec_attributes_file.write_text(json.dumps(check_json(rec_attributes), indent=4), encoding="utf8")
+
         return output_folder
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/sorters/external/kilosortbase.py b/src/spikeinterface/sorters/external/kilosortbase.py
index 5ca1f544a0..15cbf4d3d0 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/sorters/external/kilosortbase.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/sorters/external/kilosortbase.py
@@ -255,8 +255,15 @@ def _get_result_from_folder(cls, sorter_output_folder):
         with params_file.open("r") as f:
             sorter_params = json.load(f)["sorter_params"]
 
-        recording = BaseSorter.load_recording_from_folder(sorter_output_folder.parent, with_warnings=False)
-        channel_ids = recording.channel_ids if recording is not None else None
+        channel_ids = None
+        recording_attributes_file = sorter_output_folder.parent / "recording_attributes.json"
+        if recording_attributes_file.is_file():
+            with open(recording_attributes_file, "r") as f:
+                rec_attributes = json.load(f)
+                channel_ids = rec_attributes.get("channel_ids")
+        else:
+            recording = BaseSorter.load_recording_from_folder(sorter_output_folder.parent, with_warnings=False)
+            channel_ids = recording.channel_ids if recording is not None else None
 
         keep_good_only = sorter_params.get("keep_good_only", False)
         sorting = KiloSortSortingExtractor(