diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py b/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py
index 20b6ee2813528b3130bbf14cc52b1abb3e57a176..5770346682804da63efee75f88eb5a4e6245e860 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/models.py
@@ -280,16 +280,42 @@ class Task(models.Model):
 
     @property
     def sas_id_archived(self):
+        """
+        check if this task already has an output SAS_ID at the LTA
+        """
         try:
             return self.archive['sas_id_archived']
         except:
             return None
 
+    @property
+    def sas_id_has_archived(self):
+        """
+        check if any task belonging to this sas_id already has an output SAS_ID at the LTA
+        """
+        try:
+            for task in Task.objects.filter(sas_id=self.sas_id):
+                try:
+                    if task.archive['sas_id_archived']:
+                        return task.archive['sas_id_archived']
+                except:
+                    pass
+        except:
+            return None
 
     @property
-    def path_to_lta(self):
+    def sasid_path_to_lta(self):
+        """
+        check if any task belonging to this sas_id already has a 'path_to_lta' setting
+        """
         try:
-            return self.archive['path_to_lta']
+            for task in Task.objects.filter(sas_id=self.sas_id):
+                try:
+                    if task.archive['path_to_lta']:
+                        return task.archive['path_to_lta']
+                except:
+                    # if 'path_to_lta' is not found, or 'archive' is empty, continue to the next task
+                    pass
         except:
             return None
 
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/index.html b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/index.html
index 624dbd49f2139d469093e589bd0924f95deaf04c..3903b2dcd4f57c2d91f48f83c9037d7c5893e749 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/index.html
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/index.html
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
             {% include 'taskdatabase/pagination.html' %}
         </div>
     </div>
-    <p class="footer"> Version 12 Jan 2024
+    <p class="footer"> Version 15 Jan 2024
 </div>
 
 {% include 'taskdatabase/refresh.html' %}
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/ingest/tasks.html b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/ingest/tasks.html
index 1a61c352add2df52faf58fa3b64a6a529f9cd86a..7c4537f2a1c1425656ad298b35ffa5308f069074 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/ingest/tasks.html
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/ingest/tasks.html
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@
 
                 <td>{{ task.sasid_ingested_fraction.completion }}%</td>
                 <td>
-                    {% if task.sas_id_archived != None %}
+                    {% if task.sas_id_has_archived != None %}
                       <a href={{ task.path_to_lta }} target="_blank">
                           <img src="{% static 'taskdatabase/ldvlogo_small.png' %}" height="20" alt="link to LTA">
-                          {{ task.sas_id_archived }}
+                          {{ task.sas_id_has_archived }}
                       </a>&nbsp;
                     {% else %}
                     -
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/tests/test_path_to_lta.py b/atdb/taskdatabase/tests/test_path_to_lta.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..fa4b0a9399b3b6f3e26e17318f3effe20aad14ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/tests/test_path_to_lta.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from django.test import TestCase
+from taskdatabase.models import Task, Workflow
+
+class TaskModelTestCase(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        # Create tasks for testing
+
+        # the first 2 have no valid path set
+        self.task1 = Task.objects.create(sas_id=12345,archive={})
+        self.task2 = Task.objects.create(sas_id=12345,archive={'path_to_lta': None})
+
+        # this task has a valid path_to_lta set
+        self.task3 = Task.objects.create(sas_id=12345,archive={'path_to_lta': '/sample/path'})
+
+        # this sasid has no path_to_lta set at all
+        self.task4 = Task.objects.create(sas_id=66666,archive={})
+        self.task5 = Task.objects.create(sas_id=66666,archive={})
+
+    def test_path_to_lta_with_path(self):
+
+        # if only one of the tasks has a path_to_lta, then the other tasks should also return that path
+        for task in Task.objects.filter(sas_id=12345):
+            result = task.sasid_path_to_lta
+            self.assertEqual(result, '/sample/path')
+
+    def test_path_to_lta_without_path(self):
+
+        # if one of the tasks has 'path_to_lta' set, then return None
+        for task in Task.objects.filter(sas_id=66666):
+            result = task.sasid_path_to_lta
+            self.assertEqual(result, None)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py b/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py
index b54b8e711f0511cef726a0c7d720fa991d27315a..1e7a088abaaf74491b2ea1f217824f19b9d0c68f 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ def get_filtered_tasks(request, pre_filtered_tasks=None, distinct=None):
     # check filtered_tasks on the session
     # if it is at its max limit, then this is not a query targeted at 1 SAS_ID.
     # in that case don't apply the filter, so that all SAS_ID's show up on the page.
+    # nv: 15jan2024, this disturbs how users now work with the filter, need to find a different solution.
     try:
         filtered_tasks_on_session = len(request.session['filtered_tasks_as_list'])
         if filtered_tasks_on_session != settings.QUERY_LIMIT_MULTI_CHANGE: