diff --git a/C4/Items.pm b/C4/Items.pm
index 339aac869a..4fe6c64639 100644
--- a/C4/Items.pm
+++ b/C4/Items.pm
@@ -308,7 +308,8 @@ sub ModItemFromMarc {
     my $item_object = Koha::Items->find($itemnumber);
     my $item = TransformMarcToKoha( $localitemmarc, $frameworkcode, 'items' );
 
-    my $has_permanent_location = exists $item->{permanent_location};
+    my ( $perm_loc_tag, $perm_loc_subfield ) = C4::Biblio::GetMarcFromKohaField( "items.permanent_location" );
+    my $has_permanent_location = defined $item_marc->subfield( $perm_loc_tag, $perm_loc_subfield );
 
     # Retrieving the values for the fields that are not linked
     my @mapped_fields = Koha::MarcSubfieldStructures->search(
diff --git a/t/db_dependent/Items.t b/t/db_dependent/Items.t
index 0a018f1923..52d9068147 100755
--- a/t/db_dependent/Items.t
+++ b/t/db_dependent/Items.t
@@ -1120,11 +1120,11 @@ subtest 'ModItemFromMarc' => sub {
         $item->permanent_location("");
         $item->location('E');
         $marc = C4::Items::Item2Marc( $item->unblessed, $item->biblionumber );
+        $marc->field('952')->add_subfields( "C", "" );
         ModItemFromMarc( $marc, $item->biblionumber, $item->itemnumber );
         $item = $item->get_from_storage;
         is( $item->location, 'E', 'next new location set as expected' );
         is( $item->permanent_location, undef, 'permanent location is not updated if previously set as blank string' );
-
     };
 
     $schema->storage->txn_rollback;