diff --git a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UnassignSampleFromSpaceTest.java b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UnassignSampleFromSpaceTest.java
index 8a72af8918badcfe114c514919cb4dadebc056b0..e740527b97952d66238f90c9893198e53e07763f 100644
--- a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UnassignSampleFromSpaceTest.java
+++ b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UnassignSampleFromSpaceTest.java
@@ -109,6 +109,18 @@ public class UnassignSampleFromSpaceTest extends BaseTest
         assertThat(parent, is(inSpace(space)));
     }
 
+    @Test(expectedExceptions =
+        { UserFailureException.class })
+    public void childSampleCantBeUnassignedFromSpace() throws Exception
+    {
+        Sample parent = create(aSample().inExperiment(experiment));
+        Sample child = create(aSample().withParent(parent).inExperiment(experiment));
+
+        perform(anUpdateOf(child).removingSpace());
+
+        assertThat(child, hasNoSpace());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void parentSampleCanBeUnassignedFromSpace() throws Exception
     {
diff --git a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UpdateSampleParentsTest.java b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UpdateSampleParentsTest.java
index f327e7b998769b375e10386814724e55ddeeb342..f06dedd27351b49722f13a25d86cf63dd2201efa 100644
--- a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UpdateSampleParentsTest.java
+++ b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/UpdateSampleParentsTest.java
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ public class UpdateSampleParentsTest extends BaseTest
         Sample sample = create(aSample().inSpace(space));
 
         perform(anUpdateOf(sample).toHaveParent(sample));
-
     }
 
     @Test(expectedExceptions =
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ public class UpdateSampleParentsTest extends BaseTest
         perform(anUpdateOf(child).toHaveParent(parent));
     }
 
-    @Test(groups = "broken", expectedExceptions =
+    @Test(expectedExceptions =
         { UserFailureException.class })
     public void childCannotBeShared() throws Exception
     {
diff --git a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/base/builder/SampleUpdateBuilder.java b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/base/builder/SampleUpdateBuilder.java
index cd3fbf6e84da4cf1c9ccab01c36ffa0e3243f2ef..2199f58f7d7c542d1b6c183f917777ee6c42df99 100644
--- a/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/base/builder/SampleUpdateBuilder.java
+++ b/openbis/sourceTest/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/openbis/systemtest/base/builder/SampleUpdateBuilder.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class SampleUpdateBuilder extends UpdateBuilder<SampleUpdatesDTO>
         }
         this.version = sample.getVersion();
         this.sampleIdentifier = id(sample);
-        this.parents = new ArrayList<Sample>();
+        this.parents = null;
         this.container = null;
     }
 
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ public class SampleUpdateBuilder extends UpdateBuilder<SampleUpdatesDTO>
 
     public SampleUpdateBuilder toHaveParents(Sample... samples)
     {
+        if (this.parents == null)
+        {
+            this.parents = new ArrayList<Sample>();
+        }
         for (Sample parent : samples)
         {
             this.parents.add(parent);
@@ -134,10 +138,14 @@ public class SampleUpdateBuilder extends UpdateBuilder<SampleUpdatesDTO>
     @Override
     public SampleUpdatesDTO create()
     {
-        String[] parentIdentifiers = new String[this.parents.size()];
-        for (int i = 0; i < this.parents.size(); i++)
+        String[] parentIdentifiers = null;
+        if (this.parents != null)
         {
-            parentIdentifiers[i] = this.parents.get(i).getIdentifier();
+            parentIdentifiers = new String[this.parents.size()];
+            for (int i = 0; i < this.parents.size(); i++)
+            {
+                parentIdentifiers[i] = this.parents.get(i).getIdentifier();
+            }
         }
         return new SampleUpdatesDTO(this.sampleId, new ArrayList<IEntityProperty>(),
                 this.experimentId, new ArrayList<NewAttachment>(), this.version,