diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
index 951f2680..f8af0f46 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@
 //      Revision
 //
 [assembly: AssemblyVersion("1.0.0.0")]
-[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("0.43.0.2")]
+[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("0.43.0.3")]
 [assembly: NeutralResourcesLanguage("en")]
 
diff --git a/ARKBreedingStats/ocr/OCRControl.cs b/ARKBreedingStats/ocr/OCRControl.cs
index 885f2802..0239000a 100644
--- a/ARKBreedingStats/ocr/OCRControl.cs
+++ b/ARKBreedingStats/ocr/OCRControl.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ public OCRControl()
         public void Initialize()
         {
             SetWhiteThreshold(Properties.Settings.Default.OCRWhiteThreshold);
-            LoadAndInitializeOcrTemplate(Properties.Settings.Default.ocrFile);
+            if (!LoadAndInitializeOcrTemplate(Properties.Settings.Default.ocrFile))
+                Properties.Settings.Default.ocrFile = null;
         }
 
         private void InitLabelEntries()
@@ -449,8 +450,16 @@ private bool LoadAndInitializeOcrTemplate(string filePath)
                 return false;
             }
 
-            ArkOCR.OCR.ocrConfig = OCRTemplate.LoadFile(filePath) ?? new OCRTemplate();
+            var loadedOcrConfig = OCRTemplate.LoadFile(filePath);
+            if (loadedOcrConfig == null)
+            {
+                filePath = null;
+            }
+
+            ArkOCR.OCR.ocrConfig = loadedOcrConfig;
             UpdateOCRLabel(filePath);
+            if (loadedOcrConfig == null) return false;
+
             UpdateOcrFontSizes();
             InitLabelEntries();
             nudResizing.Value = ArkOCR.OCR.ocrConfig.resize == 0 ? 1 : (decimal)ArkOCR.OCR.ocrConfig.resize;