diff --git a/app/services/aapb/batch_ingest/pbcore_xml_mapper.rb b/app/services/aapb/batch_ingest/pbcore_xml_mapper.rb
index 0ea341e8..50708817 100644
--- a/app/services/aapb/batch_ingest/pbcore_xml_mapper.rb
+++ b/app/services/aapb/batch_ingest/pbcore_xml_mapper.rb
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ def person_attributes(person, role)
 
       def physical_instantiation_resource_attributes
         @physical_instantiation_resource_attributes ||= instantiation_attributes.tap do |attrs|
-          attrs[:format] = pbcore.physical.value if pbcore.physical.value.present?
+          attrs[:format] = pbcore.physical.value || nil
         end
       end