diff --git a/app/models/script.rb b/app/models/script.rb
index d330674..5c15391 100644
--- a/app/models/script.rb
+++ b/app/models/script.rb
@@ -62,11 +62,12 @@ def cores
     28
   end
 
-  def accounting_id
+  private
+
+  def present_accounting_id
     # be sure to return nil and not just empty
-    @accounting_id.to_s.presence
+    accounting_id.to_s.presence
   end
-  private
 
   def clean_up(err, content)
     errors.add(:name, :blank, message: err.inspect.to_s)
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ def job_opts
       email_on_terminated: email,
       job_array_request: job_array_request,
       workdir: job_dir,
-      accounting_id: accounting_id
+      accounting_id: present_accounting_id
     }
   end
 end