diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7280540..3626d18 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "faims3-datamodel",
-  "version": "1.1.3",
+  "version": "1.1.4",
   "description": "Database access layer for FAIMS3",
   "main": "./build/src/index.js",
   "exports": {
diff --git a/src/data_storage/index.ts b/src/data_storage/index.ts
index ca88ab1..58153db 100644
--- a/src/data_storage/index.ts
+++ b/src/data_storage/index.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ import {
 import {shouldDisplayRecord} from '../index';
 import {
   addNewRevisionFromForm,
-  createNewRecord,
+  createNewRecordIfMissing,
   generateFAIMSRevisionID,
   getRecord,
   getRevision,
@@ -89,8 +89,7 @@ export async function upsertFAIMSData(
   }
   const revision_id = generateFAIMSRevisionID();
   if (record.revision_id === null) {
-    // console.info('New record', record);
-    await createNewRecord(project_id, record, revision_id);
+    await createNewRecordIfMissing(project_id, record, revision_id);
     await addNewRevisionFromForm(project_id, record, revision_id);
   } else {
     // console.info('Update existing record', record);
diff --git a/src/data_storage/internals.ts b/src/data_storage/internals.ts
index 073982c..d87ec70 100644
--- a/src/data_storage/internals.ts
+++ b/src/data_storage/internals.ts
@@ -491,7 +491,9 @@ async function addNewAttributeValuePairs(
   return avp_map;
 }
 
-export async function createNewRecord(
+// add a new empty record if not already present
+// used to initialise a new record before data is added with addNewRevisionFromForm
+export async function createNewRecordIfMissing(
   project_id: ProjectID,
   record: Record,
   revision_id: RevisionID
@@ -509,9 +511,8 @@ export async function createNewRecord(
   try {
     await dataDB.put(new_encoded_record);
   } catch (err) {
-    // TODO: add proper error handling for conflicts
-    console.warn(err);
-    throw Error('failed to create record document');
+    // if there was an error then the document exists
+    // already which is fine
   }
 }