diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py b/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py
index 655e0487ebbfb0f96a93094df69fc5d7e640a02b..a5229de285189874f4487ecb35a31dc4fb5b4851 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py
@@ -169,8 +169,11 @@ class Task(models.Model):
             try:
                 key = job.metadata['status'].lower()
                 # if key doesn't exist, add a new one
-                statusses.update({ key : 0 })
-                statusses[key] = statusses[key] + 1
+                try:
+                    statusses[key] = statusses[key] + 1
+                except:
+                    statusses.update({ key : 0 })
+                    statusses[key] = statusses[key] + 1
 
             except:
                 pass