diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js.erb
index 3158ce5ba..7ececca18 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js.erb
@@ -426,7 +426,9 @@ var RepositoryDatatable = (function(global) {
       } else if ($(th).hasClass('repository-column') &&
                  $(th).attr('data-type') === 'RepositoryAssetValue') {
         input = changeToInputFileField('repository_cell_file', th.attr('id'), '');
-        tr.appendChild(createTdElement(input));
+        td = createTdElement(input);
+        tr.appendChild(td);
+        _addSelectedFile($(th).attr('data-type'), '', $(td).find('input')[0]);
       } else {
         // Column we don't care for, just add empty td
         tr.appendChild(createTdElement(''));
@@ -657,9 +659,9 @@ var RepositoryDatatable = (function(global) {
                                        cell,
                                        list_columns));
             _addSelectedFile(type, cell, $(this).find('input')[0]);
-            _initSelectPicker();
           }
         });
+        _initSelectPicker();
 
         // initialize smart annotation
         _.each($('[data-object="repository_cell"]'), function(el) {
diff --git a/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb b/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb
index a8096a034..fc3f683c3 100644
--- a/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb
@@ -198,9 +198,10 @@ class RepositoryRowsController < ApplicationController
     column = @repository.repository_columns.detect do |c|
       c.id == key.to_i
     end
+    save_successful = false
     if column.data_type == 'RepositoryListValue'
       return if value == '-1'
-      # check if item existx else revert the transaction
+      # check if item exists else revert the transaction
       list_item = RepositoryListItem.where(repository_column: column)
                                     .find(value)
       cell_value = RepositoryListValue.new(
@@ -212,7 +213,9 @@ class RepositoryRowsController < ApplicationController
           repository_column: column
         }
       )
+      save_successful = list_item && cell_value.save
     elsif column.data_type == 'RepositoryAssetValue'
+      return if value.blank?
       asset = Asset.new(file: value,
                         created_by: current_user,
                         last_modified_by: current_user,
@@ -233,6 +236,7 @@ class RepositoryRowsController < ApplicationController
           repository_column: column
         }
       )
+      save_successful = cell_value.save
     else
       cell_value = RepositoryTextValue.new(
         data: value,
@@ -243,11 +247,13 @@ class RepositoryRowsController < ApplicationController
           repository_column: column
         }
       )
+      if (save_successful = cell_value.save)
+        record_annotation_notification(record,
+                                       cell_value.repository_cell)
+      end
     end
-    if cell_value.save
-      record_annotation_notification(record,
-                                     cell_value.repository_cell)
-    else
+
+    unless save_successful
       errors[:repository_cells] << {
         "#{column.id}": cell_value.errors.messages
       }