diff --git a/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/utils/XmlRecordFactory.java b/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/utils/XmlRecordFactory.java
index b0a21c62b..af6081c5d 100644
--- a/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/utils/XmlRecordFactory.java
+++ b/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/utils/XmlRecordFactory.java
@@ -1094,6 +1094,8 @@ public class XmlRecordFactory implements Serializable {
 				String.format("missing scheme for: <%s - %s>", type.toString(), targetType));
 		}
 		final HashSet<String> fields = Sets.newHashSet(mapFields(link, contexts));
+		if (rel.getValidated() == null)
+			rel.setValidated(false);
 		return templateFactory
 			.getRel(
 				targetType, rel.getTarget(), fields, rel.getRelClass(), scheme, rel.getDataInfo(), rel.getValidated(),
diff --git a/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/test/resources/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/relToProject.json b/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/test/resources/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/relToProject.json
index b4d975255..9e2824e52 100644
--- a/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/test/resources/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/relToProject.json
+++ b/dhp-workflows/dhp-graph-provision/src/test/resources/eu/dnetlib/dhp/oa/provision/relToProject.json
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 "relClass": "isProducedBy",
 "source": "50|CSC_________::0000ec4dd9df012feaafa77e71a0fb4c",
 "target": "40|corda__h2020::79a0e16c122c9a18eb60e4a5e64b620d",
-"validated": false,
+"validated": null,
 "validationDate": null,
 "properties": []
 }
\ No newline at end of file