diff --git a/datastore_server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/dss/plugins/sync/harvester/synchronizer/ResourceListParser.java b/datastore_server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/dss/plugins/sync/harvester/synchronizer/ResourceListParser.java
index 6e0f74991d70be5029f9507559b9a652286a54c6..803057759086f7a9926e7d19be968a837d42af9c 100644
--- a/datastore_server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/dss/plugins/sync/harvester/synchronizer/ResourceListParser.java
+++ b/datastore_server/source/java/ch/ethz/sis/openbis/generic/server/dss/plugins/sync/harvester/synchronizer/ResourceListParser.java
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ public class ResourceListParser
     {
 
         String code = extractCode(xdNode);
-        String desc = xdNode.getAttributes().getNamedItem("desc").getTextContent();
+        String desc = extractAttribute(xdNode, "desc", true);
         String space = extractSpace(xdNode, false);
         ProjectIdentifier projectIdentifier = createProjectIdentifier(code, space);
         NewProject newProject = new NewProject(projectIdentifier.toString(), desc);