diff --git a/src/photini/__init__.py b/src/photini/__init__.py
index 410102a2..fb7f892f 100644
--- a/src/photini/__init__.py
+++ b/src/photini/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 """Full documentation is at https://photini.readthedocs.io/"""
 
 __version__ = '2023.5.1'
-build = '2720 (339bf72)'
+build = '2721 (bfa368e)'
diff --git a/src/photini/types.py b/src/photini/types.py
index 7f3b1269..17f2615a 100644
--- a/src/photini/types.py
+++ b/src/photini/types.py
@@ -690,10 +690,10 @@ def get_type(cls, key, value):
 
     @classmethod
     def from_exiv2(cls, file_value, tag):
+        file_value = file_value or {}
         if isinstance(file_value, (list, tuple)):
             # "legacy" list of string values
             file_value = dict(zip(cls.legacy_keys, file_value))
-        file_value = file_value or {}
         for key, value in file_value.items():
             file_value[key] = cls.get_type(key, value).from_exiv2(value, tag)
         return cls(file_value)