diff --git a/src/caoscrawler/crawl.py b/src/caoscrawler/crawl.py
index d30472c9aa9745fb985358f86015f01286a41680..461a41f9d3da736cfb7a1f1efc23f557814c8185 100644
--- a/src/caoscrawler/crawl.py
+++ b/src/caoscrawler/crawl.py
@@ -613,7 +613,8 @@ class Crawler(object):
         """
         try:
             merge_entities(
-                newrecord, record, merge_references_with_empty_diffs=False, merge_id_with_resolved_entity=True)
+                newrecord, record, merge_references_with_empty_diffs=False,
+                merge_id_with_resolved_entity=True)
         except EntityMergeConflictError:
             _treat_merge_error_of(newrecord, record)
             # We cannot merge but it is none of the clear case where merge is
@@ -637,6 +638,8 @@ class Crawler(object):
         """
 
         registered_identifiable = self.identifiableAdapter.get_registered_identifiable(record)
+        if registered_identifiable is None:
+            return False
         refs = self.identifiableAdapter.get_identifying_referencing_entities(referencing_entities,
                                                                              registered_identifiable)
         if any([el is None for el in refs]):
diff --git a/unittests/test_crawler.py b/unittests/test_crawler.py
index 5eecb10630bb478ff9070ad97eb5acca9a963fab..26aa9e73c42e4d3923d01d83a47c8dfa7007f0a6 100644
--- a/unittests/test_crawler.py
+++ b/unittests/test_crawler.py
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, Mock, patch
 
 import caoscrawler
-import caosdb as db
-import caosdb.common.models as dbmodels
+import linkahead as db
+import linkahead.common.models as dbmodels
 import pytest
 import yaml
 from caoscrawler.crawl import (Crawler, SecurityMode, TreatedRecordLookUp,
@@ -216,6 +216,13 @@ def test_split_into_inserts_and_updates_trivial():
     crawler.split_into_inserts_and_updates([])
 
 
+def test_split_into_inserts_and_updates_unidentified():
+    crawler = Crawler()
+    with raises(ValueError) as err:
+        crawler.split_into_inserts_and_updates([db.Record(name="recname").add_parent("someparent")])
+    assert str(err.value).startswith("There is no identifying information.")
+
+
 def basic_retrieve_by_name_mock_up(rec, referencing_entities=None, known=None):
     """ returns a stored Record if rec.name is an existing key, None otherwise """
     if rec.name in known: