diff --git a/grails-app/i18n/messages.properties b/grails-app/i18n/messages.properties
index d6ff26b0..2dc096c8 100644
--- a/grails-app/i18n/messages.properties
+++ b/grails-app/i18n/messages.properties
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public.show.rt.des05=can be accessed through the {0}
 public.show.rt.des06=Click to view all records for the
 public.show.rt.des07=No database records for this collection can be accessed through the {0}
 public.show.rt.des08=events
-public.show.setprogress.01=There is no estimate of the total number of {0} in this collection.
+public.show.setprogress.01=Specimen record count is not available to show the progress bar for records
 public.show.setprogress.02=No records are available for viewing in the {0}
 public.show.setprogress.accessions=accessions
 public.show.setprogress.cultures=cultures
diff --git a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/collectory/ExternalIdentifierService.groovy b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/collectory/ExternalIdentifierService.groovy
index db9b94bb..3bb11675 100644
--- a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/collectory/ExternalIdentifierService.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/collectory/ExternalIdentifierService.groovy
@@ -40,18 +40,22 @@ class ExternalIdentifierService {
 
         if (uid[0..1] == 'co') {
             Collection c = Collection.findByUid(uid)
+            if (c.externalIdentifiers == null) c.externalIdentifiers = new HashSet<>();
             c.externalIdentifiers.add(ext)
             Collection.withTransaction { c.save(flush: true) }
         } else if (uid[0..1] == 'in') {
             Institution c = Institution.findByUid(uid)
+            if (c.externalIdentifiers == null) c.externalIdentifiers = new HashSet<>();
             c.externalIdentifiers.add(ext)
             Institution.withTransaction { c.save(flush: true) }
         } else if (uid[0..1] == 'dp') {
             DataProvider c = DataProvider.findByUid(uid)
+            if (c.externalIdentifiers == null) c.externalIdentifiers = new HashSet<>();
             c.externalIdentifiers.add(ext)
             DataProvider.withTransaction { c.save(flush: true) }
         } else if (uid[0..1] == 'dr') {
             DataResource c = DataResource.findByUid(uid)
+            if (c.externalIdentifiers == null) c.externalIdentifiers = new HashSet<>();
             c.externalIdentifiers.add(ext)
             DataResource.withTransaction { c.save(flush: true) }
         }
diff --git a/grails-app/views/public/_progress.gsp b/grails-app/views/public/_progress.gsp
index 24f3edfa..7d39a0b0 100644
--- a/grails-app/views/public/_progress.gsp
+++ b/grails-app/views/public/_progress.gsp
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ function setPercentAgeNumbers(totalBiocacheRecords, totalRecords) {
         setProgress(percent);
     } else {
         // the progress bar doesn't make sense if there is no estimated speciemens count
-        $('#progress').hide();
+        $('#progressBarItem').hide();
+
+        // change the display text for the lack of metadata
+        $('#speedoCaption').hide();
+        $('#speedoCaptionMissingMetadata').show();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/grails-app/views/public/showCollection.gsp b/grails-app/views/public/showCollection.gsp
index 940b6035..ded0fa69 100644
--- a/grails-app/views/public/showCollection.gsp
+++ b/grails-app/views/public/showCollection.gsp
@@ -158,10 +158,13 @@
                             </div>
                             <div class="col-md-4">
                                 <div id="progress" class="well">
-                                    <div class="progress">
+                                    <div class="progress" id="progressBarItem">
                                         <div id="progressBar" class="progress-bar progress-bar-success" style="width: 0%;"></div>
                                     </div>
-                                    <p class="caption"><span id="speedoCaption"><g:message code="public.show.setprogress.02" args="${[grailsApplication.config.skin.orgNameShort]}" />.</span></p>
+                                    <p class="caption">
+                                        <span id="speedoCaption"><g:message code="public.show.setprogress.02" args="${[grailsApplication.config.skin.orgNameShort]}" />.</span>
+                                        <span id="speedoCaptionMissingMetadata" style="display: none;"><g:message code="public.show.setprogress.01" args="${[grailsApplication.config.skin.orgNameShort]}" />.</span>
+                                    </p>
                                 </div>
                             </div>