diff --git a/qiskit_experiments/database_service/db_experiment_data.py b/qiskit_experiments/database_service/db_experiment_data.py
index 9e1749576f..7560c507cf 100644
--- a/qiskit_experiments/database_service/db_experiment_data.py
+++ b/qiskit_experiments/database_service/db_experiment_data.py
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ def load(cls, experiment_id: str, service: DatabaseServiceV1) -> "DbExperimentDa
             experiment_type=service_data.pop("experiment_type"),
             backend=service_data.pop("backend"),
             experiment_id=service_data.pop("experiment_id"),
-            parent_id=service_data.pop("parent_id"),
+            parent_id=service_data.pop("parent_id", None),
             tags=service_data.pop("tags"),
             job_ids=service_data.pop("job_ids"),
             share_level=service_data.pop("share_level"),
diff --git a/qiskit_experiments/framework/composite/composite_experiment_data.py b/qiskit_experiments/framework/composite/composite_experiment_data.py
index 8a789f076b..1b0eefe06f 100644
--- a/qiskit_experiments/framework/composite/composite_experiment_data.py
+++ b/qiskit_experiments/framework/composite/composite_experiment_data.py
@@ -123,6 +123,12 @@ def load(cls, experiment_id: str, service: DatabaseServiceV1) -> "CompositeExper
             load_class = globals()[comp_class]
             load_func = getattr(load_class, "load")
             loaded_comp = load_func(comp_id, service)
+
+            # Sub-experiments that were saved before parent_id was introduced -
+            # their parent_id was set to None by the super class load method,
+            # and has now to be updated to the correct id
+            loaded_comp._parent_id = expdata.experiment_id
+
             expdata._components.append(loaded_comp)
 
         return expdata