diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/helpers/SafeCleanAttribs.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/helpers/SafeCleanAttribs.java
index 929a96df3..617a23c3b 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/helpers/SafeCleanAttribs.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/helpers/SafeCleanAttribs.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ public class SafeCleanAttribs {
 			newdmp.setId(dmp.getId());
 			dataset.setDmp(newdmp);
 		}
+		
 	}
 	
 }
diff --git a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/rest/entities/Datasets.java b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/rest/entities/Datasets.java
index c5818b6a6..b50fa2cf9 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/src/main/java/rest/entities/Datasets.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/src/main/java/rest/entities/Datasets.java
@@ -149,11 +149,15 @@ public class Datasets  {
 		dataset.setModified(new Date());
 		dataset.setStatus(new Short("0"));
 		dataset.setCreator(userInfo);
+		if("".equals(dataset.getReference())) dataset.setReference(null);
+		if("".equals(dataset.getProperties())) dataset.setProperties(null);
+		
 		try {
 			dataset = datasetDao.create(dataset);
 			return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.CREATED).body(SerializerProvider.toJson(dataset));
 		}
 		catch(Exception e) {
+			e.printStackTrace();
 			return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR).body("Could not create or update Dataset! Reason: " + e.getMessage());
 		}
 		
@@ -172,6 +176,9 @@ public class Datasets  {
 		
 		SafeCleanAttribs.clean(dataset);
 		
+		if("".equals(dataset.getReference())) dataset.setReference(null);
+		if("".equals(dataset.getProperties())) dataset.setProperties(null);
+		
 		try {
 			dataset = datasetDao.update(dataset);
 			return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.CREATED).body(SerializerProvider.toJson(dataset));