diff --git a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java
index f5b141662..8fbedc873 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ public class AutoCompleteData extends ComboBoxData<AutoCompleteData> {
 
         root.setAttribute("url", this.url);
         root.setAttribute("optionsRoot", this.optionsRoot);
-        root.setAttribute("multiAutoComplete", this.multiAutoComplete.toString());
+        if (this.multiAutoComplete != null)
+            root.setAttribute("multiAutoComplete", this.multiAutoComplete.toString());
         Element element = doc.createElement("option");
         element.setAttribute("label", this.autoCompleteOptions.getLabel());
         element.setAttribute("value", autoCompleteOptions.getValue());