diff --git a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleCodeGeneratorByType.java b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleCodeGeneratorByType.java
index 749657cde6e51a548143635df94776db6d34e631..5e4b2333b99a5069906b639bce78e0bccdd53a54 100644
--- a/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleCodeGeneratorByType.java
+++ b/openbis/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/generic/server/business/bo/SampleCodeGeneratorByType.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public class SampleCodeGeneratorByType extends EntityCodeGenerator
     public static interface MaxQuery extends BaseQuery
     {
         @Select(sql = "SELECT max(substr(code, length(?{1})+1)::int) "
-                + "FROM samples_all WHERE code similar to ?{1} || '[1234567890]+'")
+                + "FROM samples_all WHERE UPPER(code) similar to UPPER(?{1}) || '[1234567890]+'")
         public int getMaxCode(String prefix);
     }