diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue
index 720d2c9758b9..bb7a2878b486 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue
@@ -258,8 +258,8 @@ export default {
             const steps = [];
             this.steps &&
                 Object.values(this.steps).forEach((step) => {
-                    if (step.label || step.content_id) {
-                        steps.push(step.label || step.content_id);
+                    if (step.label) {
+                        steps.push(step.label);
                     }
                 });
             return steps;
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/managers/markdown_util.py b/lib/galaxy/managers/markdown_util.py
index 4e5219251ccc..e4bef5ad1742 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/managers/markdown_util.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/managers/markdown_util.py
@@ -749,7 +749,8 @@ def find_non_empty_group(match):
             target_match = step_match
             name = find_non_empty_group(target_match)
             ref_object_type = "job"
-            ref_object = invocation.step_invocation_for_label(name).job
+            invocation_step = invocation.step_invocation_for_label(name)
+            ref_object = invocation_step and invocation_step.job
         else:
             target_match = None
             ref_object = None