diff --git a/src/main/java/de/thm/arsnova/services/QuestionService.java b/src/main/java/de/thm/arsnova/services/QuestionService.java
index d78a36763183deb8560bd94c4c8c3fe4757f901a..924d4d3569be455e0af2efbd5be6f213ed386e9d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/thm/arsnova/services/QuestionService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/thm/arsnova/services/QuestionService.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public class QuestionService implements IQuestionService, ApplicationEventPublis
 		final Question result = databaseDao.saveQuestion(session, question);
 
 		SortOrder subjectSortOrder = databaseDao.getSortOrder(session.get_id(), question.getQuestionVariant(), "");
-		if (subjectSortOrder != null) {
+		if (subjectSortOrder != null || subjectSortOrder.getSortOrder() != null) {
 			SortOrder questionSortOrder = databaseDao.getSortOrder(session.get_id(), question.getQuestionVariant(), question.getSubject());
 			if (questionSortOrder == null) {
 				List<String> s = new ArrayList<String>();