diff --git a/cataloguing/additem.pl b/cataloguing/additem.pl
index a2eacef883..36978bc45d 100755
--- a/cataloguing/additem.pl
+++ b/cataloguing/additem.pl
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ foreach my $tag ( keys %{$tagslib}){
         next if any { /^$tag$subtag$/ }  @fields;
 
         my @values = (undef);
-        @values = $itemrecord->field($tag)->subfield($subtag) if ($itemrecord && defined($itemrecord->field($tag)->subfield($subtag)));
+        @values = $itemrecord->field($tag)->subfield($subtag) if ($itemrecord && defined($itemrecord->field($tag)) && defined($itemrecord->field($tag)->subfield($subtag)));
         for my $value (@values){
             my $subfield_data = generate_subfield_form($tag, $subtag, $value, $tagslib, $tagslib->{$tag}->{$subtag}, $branches, $today_iso, $biblionumber, $temp, \@loop_data, $i); 
             push (@loop_data, $subfield_data);