diff --git a/typo3/sysext/core/Classes/DataHandling/DataHandler.php b/typo3/sysext/core/Classes/DataHandling/DataHandler.php
index 5d7922f6253e..a7e01d8af8a2 100644
--- a/typo3/sysext/core/Classes/DataHandling/DataHandler.php
+++ b/typo3/sysext/core/Classes/DataHandling/DataHandler.php
@@ -3756,7 +3756,7 @@ public function copyRecord_procBasedOnFieldType($table, $uid, $field, $value, $r
             $currentValue = is_string($value) ? GeneralUtility::xml2array($value) : null;
             // Traversing the XML structure, processing files:
             if (is_array($currentValue)) {
-                $currentValue['data'] = $this->checkValue_flex_procInData($currentValue['data'], [], $dataStructureArray, [$table, $uid, $field, $realDestPid], 'copyRecord_flexFormCallBack', $workspaceOptions);
+                $currentValue['data'] = $this->checkValue_flex_procInData($currentValue['data'] ?? [], [], $dataStructureArray, [$table, $uid, $field, $realDestPid], 'copyRecord_flexFormCallBack', $workspaceOptions);
                 // Setting value as an array! -> which means the input will be processed according to the 'flex' type when the new copy is created.
                 $value = $currentValue;
             }