diff --git a/asteroid/dsp/overlap_add.py b/asteroid/dsp/overlap_add.py
index 0c8b5e4cc..c25c97432 100644
--- a/asteroid/dsp/overlap_add.py
+++ b/asteroid/dsp/overlap_add.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.window_size = window_size
         self.hop_size = hop_size if hop_size is not None else window_size // 2
         self.n_src = n_src
+        self.n_channels = getattr(nnet, "n_channels", None)
 
         if window:
             from scipy.signal import get_window  # for torch.hub
diff --git a/asteroid/models/base_models.py b/asteroid/models/base_models.py
index 35f4b11e9..a4bf1ddad 100644
--- a/asteroid/models/base_models.py
+++ b/asteroid/models/base_models.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import torch
 import warnings
+from typing import Optional
 
 from .. import separate
 from ..masknn import activations
@@ -22,20 +23,24 @@ def _unsqueeze_to_3d(x):
 class BaseModel(torch.nn.Module):
     """Base class for serializable models.
 
-    Defines saving/loading procedures as well as separation methods from
-    file, torch tensors and numpy arrays.
-    Need to overwrite the `forward` method, the `sample_rate` property and
-    the `get_model_args` method.
+    Defines saving/loading procedures, and separation interface to `separate`.
+    Need to overwrite the `forward` and `get_model_args` methods.
 
     Models inheriting from `BaseModel` can be used by :mod:`asteroid.separate`
     and by the `asteroid-infer` CLI. For models whose `forward` doesn't go from
     waveform to waveform tensors, overwrite `forward_wav` to return
     waveform tensors.
+
+    Args:
+        sample_rate (float): Operating sample rate of the model.
+        n_channels: Supported number of channels of the model.
+            If None, no checks will be performed.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, sample_rate: float = 8000.0):
+    def __init__(self, sample_rate: float = 8000.0, n_channels: Optional[int] = 1):
         super().__init__()
         self.__sample_rate = sample_rate
+        self.n_channels = n_channels
 
     def forward(self, *args, **kwargs):
         raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/asteroid/separate.py b/asteroid/separate.py
index 04be7d771..d6b73de5a 100644
--- a/asteroid/separate.py
+++ b/asteroid/separate.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import torch
 import numpy as np
 import soundfile as sf
+from typing import Optional
 
 try:
     from typing import Protocol
@@ -19,7 +20,9 @@ class Protocol:
 class Separatable(Protocol):
     """Things that are separatable."""
 
-    def forward_wav(self, wav, **kwargs):
+    n_channels: Optional[int]
+
+    def forward_wav(self, wav: torch.Tensor, **kwargs) -> torch.Tensor:
         """
         Args:
             wav (torch.Tensor): waveform tensor.
@@ -34,7 +37,7 @@ def forward_wav(self, wav, **kwargs):
         ...
 
     @property
-    def sample_rate(self):
+    def sample_rate(self) -> float:
         """Operating sample rate of the model (float)."""
         ...
 
@@ -88,6 +91,11 @@ def separate(
 @torch.no_grad()
 def torch_separate(model: Separatable, wav: torch.Tensor, **kwargs) -> torch.Tensor:
     """Core logic of `separate`."""
+    if model.n_channels is not None and wav.shape[-2] != model.n_channels:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Model supports {model.n_channels}-channel inputs but found audio with {wav.shape[-2]} channels."
+            f"Please match the number of channels."
+        )
     # Handle device placement
     input_device = get_device(wav, default="cpu")
     model_device = get_device(model, default="cpu")
@@ -158,8 +166,8 @@ def file_separate(
             f"Received a signal with a sampling rate of {fs}Hz for a model "
             f"of {model.sample_rate}Hz. You can pass `resample=True` to resample automatically."
         )
-    # Pass wav as [batch, n_chan, time]; here: [1, 1, time]
-    wav = wav[:, 0][None, None]
+    # Pass wav as [batch, n_chan, time]; here: [1, chan, time]
+    wav = wav.T[None]
     (est_srcs,) = numpy_separate(model, wav, **kwargs)
     # Resample to original sr
     est_srcs = [
diff --git a/tests/models/models_test.py b/tests/models/models_test.py
index 0d5c316d5..a5d4160bf 100644
--- a/tests/models/models_test.py
+++ b/tests/models/models_test.py
@@ -32,6 +32,24 @@ def test_set_sample_rate_raises_warning():
         model.sample_rate = 16000.0
 
 
+def test_multichannel_model_loading():
+    class MCModel(BaseModel):
+        def __init__(self, sample_rate=8000.0, n_channels=2):
+            super().__init__(sample_rate=sample_rate, n_channels=n_channels)
+
+        def forward(self, x, **kwargs):
+            return x
+
+        def get_model_args(self):
+            return {"sample_rate": self.sample_rate, "n_channels": self.n_channels}
+
+    model = MCModel()
+    model_conf = model.serialize()
+
+    new_model = MCModel.from_pretrained(model_conf)
+    assert model.n_channels == new_model.n_channels
+
+
 def test_convtasnet_sep():
     nnet = ConvTasNet(
         n_src=2,