diff --git a/server-application-server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/xls/importer/utils/VersionUtils.java b/server-application-server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/xls/importer/utils/VersionUtils.java
index 7988f4c7eefc46042de33245228852ec494dc193..72b5e1fe85e3b3292b02f5ae0badf90289a9fb52 100644
--- a/server-application-server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/xls/importer/utils/VersionUtils.java
+++ b/server-application-server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/xls/importer/utils/VersionUtils.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class VersionUtils
         if (importType == ImportTypes.VOCABULARY_TERM) {
             importTypeAsString += "-" + vocabularyCodeOrNull;
         }
-        return versions.getOrDefault(VersionUtils.getKey(importTypeAsString, typeCode), 0);
+        return versions.getOrDefault(VersionUtils.getKey(importTypeAsString, typeCode), 1);
     }
 
     public static Integer getStoredVersion(Map<String, Integer> versions, String prefix, String creationCode)