diff --git a/src/caosdb/common/models.py b/src/caosdb/common/models.py
index db3c3da38333f44529c8132304fc0bc77580f295..758252d1ee6b7136b3396bbb15693b4ef1816207 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/common/models.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/common/models.py
@@ -495,6 +495,8 @@ class Entity:
 
         if self.get_property(property_name) is None:
             return self
+        if self.get_property(property_name).value is None:
+            remove_if_empty_afterwards = False
         empty_afterwards = False
         if isinstance(self.get_property(property_name).value, list):
             if value in self.get_property(property_name).value: