diff --git a/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/opensongimport.py b/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/opensongimport.py
index afdf3fe63..632170807 100644
--- a/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/opensongimport.py
+++ b/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/opensongimport.py
@@ -190,9 +190,10 @@ class OpenSongImport(SongImport):
                     # the verse tag
                     verse_tag = content
                     verse_num = u'1'
-                verse_index = VerseType.from_loose_input(verse_tag)
-                if not verse_index:
-                    verse_index = 0 # Verse
+                if len(verse_tag) == 0:
+                    verse_index = 0
+                else:
+                    verse_index = VerseType.from_loose_input(verse_tag)
                 verse_tag = VerseType.Tags[verse_index]
                 inst = 1
                 if [verse_tag, verse_num, inst] in our_verse_order \