diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java
index 59b8bc5b9671fc082f04d6d03d8fe535f4b7baa0..29dbfbbb39e4998d90c82c1d9ad3e030950a4cff 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/DatabaseDocument.java
@@ -665,7 +665,15 @@ public class DatabaseDocument extends Document
     Feature child = new Feature();
     
     // ignore match_part (BLAST HSPs)
-    CvTerm cvTerm = getCvTermByCvAndCvTerm("match_part", "sequence");
+    CvTerm cvTerm;
+    try
+    {
+      cvTerm = getCvTermByCvAndCvTerm("match_part", "sequence");
+    }
+    catch(NullPointerException ne)
+    {
+      cvTerm = dao.getCvTermByNameAndCvName("match_part", "sequence");
+    }
     
     child.setFeatureLoc(featureloc);
     child.setAnalysis(false);