diff --git a/screening/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/dss/generic/server/FeatureTableBuilder.java b/screening/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/dss/generic/server/FeatureTableBuilder.java
index 852635edc66d18be172bfe791ebe8b7c2c8eba00..b8d9a74d66e421c926301a3ce2461f4d36a45c6e 100644
--- a/screening/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/dss/generic/server/FeatureTableBuilder.java
+++ b/screening/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/dss/generic/server/FeatureTableBuilder.java
@@ -131,14 +131,14 @@ public class FeatureTableBuilder
         }
         for (String featureName : featureNames)
         {
+            if (featureNameToIndexMap.containsKey(featureName) == false)
+            {
+                featureNameToIndexMap.put(featureName,
+                        new Integer(featureNameToIndexMap.size()));
+            }
             final ImgFeatureDefDTO featureDefinition = featureNameToDefMap.get(featureName);
             if (featureDefinition != null)
             {
-                if (featureNameToIndexMap.containsKey(featureName) == false)
-                {
-                    featureNameToIndexMap.put(featureName,
-                            new Integer(featureNameToIndexMap.size()));
-                }
                 List<ImgFeatureValuesDTO> featureValueSets =
                         dao.getFeatureValues(featureDefinition);
                 if (featureValueSets.isEmpty())