diff --git a/api/src/Model/Services/AssignData.php b/api/src/Model/Services/AssignData.php
index b52c9a3d7..116e98c18 100644
--- a/api/src/Model/Services/AssignData.php
+++ b/api/src/Model/Services/AssignData.php
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 namespace SynchWeb\Model\Services;
 
+use SynchWeb\Utils;
+
 class AssignData
 {
     private $db;
@@ -100,9 +102,10 @@ function updateDewarHistory($did, $status, $beamline = null, $additionalStatusDe
         $st = $status;
         if ($additionalStatusDetail)
             $st .= ' (' . $additionalStatusDetail . ')';
+        $loc = Utils::getValueOrDefault($beamline, '');
         $this->db->pq("INSERT INTO dewartransporthistory 
                         (dewarid, dewarstatus, storagelocation, arrivaldate) 
-                        VALUES (:1, :2, :3, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)", array($did, $st, $beamline));
+                        VALUES (:1, :2, :3, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)", array($did, $st, $loc));
 
         $this->updateDewar($did, $status);
     }
diff --git a/api/src/Page/Shipment.php b/api/src/Page/Shipment.php
index 85573b6f4..1b26401d9 100644
--- a/api/src/Page/Shipment.php
+++ b/api/src/Page/Shipment.php
@@ -864,6 +864,8 @@ function _transfer_dewar()
         global $transfer_email;
         if (!$this->has_arg('DEWARID'))
             $this->_error('No dewar specified');
+        if (!$this->has_arg('LOCATION'))
+            $this->_error('No location specified');
 
         $dew = $this->db->pq("SELECT d.dewarid,s.shippingid
               FROM dewar d
@@ -1049,7 +1051,7 @@ function _dispatch_dewar()
                 $dewar_location = $last_history['STORAGELOCATION'];
             } else {
                 // Use the current location of the dewar instead if no history
-                $dewar_location = $dew['STORAGELOCATION'];
+                $dewar_location = Utils::getValueOrDefault($dew['STORAGELOCATION'], '');
             }
         }
         // Check if the last history storage location is an EBIC prefix or not
@@ -3111,10 +3113,11 @@ function _cancel_pickup()
 
             foreach ($dewars as $i => $d) {
                 $this->db->pq("UPDATE dewar SET dewarstatus='pickup cancelled' WHERE dewarid=:1", array($d['DEWARID']));
+                $loc = Utils::getValueOrDefault($d['STORAGELOCATION'], '');
                 $this->db->pq(
                     "INSERT INTO dewartransporthistory (dewarid,dewarstatus,storagelocation,arrivaldate)
                     VALUES (:1,'pickup cancelled',:2,CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)",
-                    array($d['DEWARID'], $d['STORAGELOCATION'])
+                    array($d['DEWARID'], $loc)
                 );
             }
         } catch (\Exception $e) {