diff --git a/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs b/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs
index 3725eae8..9ee991f3 100644
--- a/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs	
+++ b/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs	
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ namespace VEPROMS
 			// selected.  If the format is being reset to default, selectedindex=-1. If this is a change, we'll need
 			// to check that there are enough docstyles to map the selected type of section.
 			PlantFormat pf = _SectionConfig.MyFormat != null ? _SectionConfig.MyFormat.PlantFormat : _SectionConfig.MyDefaultFormat.PlantFormat;
-			if (ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex >= 0)
+			if (!_Initializing && ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex >= 0)
 				pf = FormatInfoList.SortedFormatInfoList[ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex].PlantFormat;
 			else if (!_Initializing)    // if the format was changed, it may have been set to default.
 				pf = _SectionConfig.MyDefaultFormat.PlantFormat;