diff --git a/monai/transforms/io/array.py b/monai/transforms/io/array.py
index f0c1d1949d..6faff20e9d 100644
--- a/monai/transforms/io/array.py
+++ b/monai/transforms/io/array.py
@@ -300,7 +300,10 @@ def __call__(self, filename: Sequence[PathLike] | PathLike, reader: ImageReader
             img_array, meta_data, self.simple_keys, pattern=self.pattern, sep=self.sep
         )
         if self.ensure_channel_first:
-            img = EnsureChannelFirst()(img)
+            if not isinstance(img, MetaTensor):
+                img = EnsureChannelFirst()(img, meta_dict=meta_data)
+            else:
+                img = EnsureChannelFirst()(img)
         if self.image_only:
             return img
         return img, img.meta if isinstance(img, MetaTensor) else meta_data