diff --git a/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb b/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
index 0f110a58b..f60c19650 100644
--- a/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
@@ -640,7 +640,8 @@ class ProtocolsController < ApplicationController
       return 0 # return 0 stops the rest of the controller code from executing
     end
     @json_object = JSON.parse(json_file_contents)
-
+    @json_object['steps'] = step_hash_not_null(@json_object['steps'])
+    byebug
     @json_object['steps'] = protocols_io_guid_reorder_step_json(
       @json_object['steps']
     )
@@ -672,6 +673,8 @@ class ProtocolsController < ApplicationController
       sanitize_input(params['protocol']['last_modified'])
     )
     @db_json['steps'] = {}
+    @json_object['steps'] = step_hash_not_null(@json_object['steps'])
+    byebug
     @db_json['steps'] = protocols_io_fill_step(
       @json_object, @db_json['steps']
     )
diff --git a/app/helpers/protocols_io_helper.rb b/app/helpers/protocols_io_helper.rb
index cafb7c94b..3ea053bd2 100644
--- a/app/helpers/protocols_io_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/protocols_io_helper.rb
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ module ProtocolsIoHelper
         @toolong = true
       end
       text
+    else
+      ''
     end
   end
 
@@ -129,6 +131,8 @@ module ProtocolsIoHelper
         @remaining -= text.length - reserved
       end
       text
+    else
+      ''
     end
   end
 
@@ -146,10 +150,59 @@ module ProtocolsIoHelper
     Nokogiri::HTML::DocumentFragment.parse(text).to_html
   end
 
+  def step_hash_not_null(step_json)
+    is_null_check = false
+    if step_json.blank?
+      is_null_check = true
+    elsif step_json[0].blank?
+      is_null_check = true
+    elsif step_json[0]['components'].blank?
+      is_null_check = true
+    elsif step_json[0]['components'][0].blank?
+      is_null_check = true
+    elsif step_json[0]['components'][0]['component_type_id'].blank?
+      is_null_check = true
+    else
+      is_null_check = false
+    end
+    if is_null_check
+      return generate_null_step_skeleton
+    else
+      step_json
+    end
+  end
+
+  # Creates dummy info for when empty steps json is sent, or
+  # hash structure is modified
+  def generate_null_step_skeleton
+    json_string = [
+      {
+        "guid": 0,
+        "previous_guid": nil,
+        "components":
+        [
+          {
+            "component_type_id": '1',
+            "name": 'Description',
+            "data": '',
+            "data_id": nil
+          },
+          {
+            "component_type_id": '6',
+            "name": 'Section',
+            "data": 'Step',
+            "data_id": '0'
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+    json_string
+  end
   # Images are allowed in:
   # Step: description, expected result
   # Protocol description : description before_start warning
   # guidelines manuscript_citation
+
   def prepare_for_view(
     attribute_text1, size, table = 'no_table', image_allowed = false
   )
@@ -314,8 +367,10 @@ module ProtocolsIoHelper
   end
 
   def protocols_io_guid_reorder_step_json(unordered_step_json)
-    base_step = unordered_step_json.find { |step| step['previous_guid'].nil? }
+    return '' if unordered_step_json.nil?
     number_of_steps = unordered_step_json.size
+    return unordered_step_json if number_of_steps == 1
+    base_step = unordered_step_json.find { |step| step['previous_guid'].nil? }
     step_order = []
     step_counter = 0
     step_order[step_counter] = base_step
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_preview_modal.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_preview_modal.html.erb
index 4af0850ff..6f67da96a 100644
--- a/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_preview_modal.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_preview_modal.html.erb
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
           <label><%= t('protocols.import_export.import_modal.name_label') %></label>
 
-          <%= f.text_field :name, :value => pio_eval_title_len(sanitize_input(@json_object['protocol_name'])), class:
+          <%= f.text_field :name, :value => pio_eval_title_len(sanitize_input(not_null(@json_object['protocol_name']))), class:
           "form-control" %>
         </div>
         <div class="form-group">
@@ -52,14 +52,14 @@
             <div class="col-xs-4">
               <label><%= t('protocols.import_export.import_modal.created_at_label') %></label>
 
-              <% display_created_at=Time.at(@json_object['created_on'].to_i) %>
+              <% display_created_at=Time.at(not_null(@json_object['created_on']).to_i) %>
               <%= f.text_field :created_at, :value => display_created_at.to_s,
               readonly: true, class: "form-control" %>
             </div>
             <div class="col-xs-4">
               <label><%= t('protocols.import_export.import_modal.updated_at_label') %></label>
 
-              <% display_last_modified=Time.at(@json_object['last_modified'].to_i) %>
+              <% display_last_modified=Time.at(not_null(@json_object['last_modified']).to_i) %>
               <%= f.text_field :last_modified, :value =>
               display_last_modified.to_s,readonly: true, class:
               "form-control" %>
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_s_desc.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_s_desc.html.erb
index 2b4eff332..55b93f3a8 100644
--- a/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_s_desc.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/protocols/import_export/_import_json_protocol_s_desc.html.erb
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@
             <br>
             <% case key['component_type_id']
             when '1' %>
-              <% step_info_string += (key['data']) %>
+              <% step_info_string += not_null(key['data']) %>
               <br>
               <strong><%= t('protocols.protocols_io_import.preview.strng_s_desc') %></strong>
               <%= prepare_for_view(key['data'],ProtocolsIoHelper::PIO_ELEMENT_RESERVED_LENGTH_SMALL,'table',true).html_safe %>
               <br>
             <% when '17' %>
-              <% step_info_string += (key['data']) %>
+              <% step_info_string += not_null(key['data']) %>
               <br>
               <strong><%= t('protocols.protocols_io_import.preview.s_exp_res') %></strong>
               <%= prepare_for_view(key['data'],ProtocolsIoHelper::PIO_ELEMENT_RESERVED_LENGTH_SMALL,'table',true).html_safe %>