diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/workflow/WorkflowQNameConverter.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/workflow/WorkflowQNameConverter.java
index f1c70d9c4c..1bc75a8515 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/workflow/WorkflowQNameConverter.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/workflow/WorkflowQNameConverter.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.alfresco.repo.workflow;
 
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceException;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespacePrefixResolver;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceService;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
@@ -100,7 +101,14 @@ public class WorkflowQNameConverter
             }
             qName = name.replaceFirst("_", ":");
         }
-        return QName.createQName(qName, prefixResolver);
+        try
+        {
+            return QName.createQName(qName, prefixResolver);
+        }
+        catch (NamespaceException ne)
+        {
+            return QName.createQName(NamespaceService.DEFAULT_URI, name);
+        }
     }
 
     private String convertQNameToName(QName name)