diff --git a/plasmid/source/core-plugins/newbrowser/1/as/webapps/newbrowser/html/js/views/SampleForm/widgets/CommentsController.js b/plasmid/source/core-plugins/newbrowser/1/as/webapps/newbrowser/html/js/views/SampleForm/widgets/CommentsController.js
index 8527adce9545cbb37456d91135f338a3e375b871..826bf611a17654185ef9b0034ddccc5dddbc26bb 100644
--- a/plasmid/source/core-plugins/newbrowser/1/as/webapps/newbrowser/html/js/views/SampleForm/widgets/CommentsController.js
+++ b/plasmid/source/core-plugins/newbrowser/1/as/webapps/newbrowser/html/js/views/SampleForm/widgets/CommentsController.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function CommentsController(sample, mode) {
 		
 		//Update Model
 		var commentsXML = this._commentsModel.getComments();
-		if(commentsXML.indexOf("<root>") === -1) {
+		if(!commentsXML || commentsXML.indexOf("<root>") === -1) {
 			commentsXML = "<root></root>";
 		}
 		var xmlDoc = new DOMParser().parseFromString(commentsXML, 'text/xml');