diff --git a/webapp/api/api/models.py b/webapp/api/api/models.py
index a10ce479..f69385c5 100644
--- a/webapp/api/api/models.py
+++ b/webapp/api/api/models.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def save(self, *args, skip_load=False, **kwargs):
         # load the Vocab, and raise if this fails
         if not skip_load:
             try:
-                Vocab.load(self.vocab_file)
+                Vocab.load(self.vocab_file.path)
             except Exception as exc:
                 raise MedCATLoadException(f'Failed to load Vocab from {self.vocab_file}, '
                                           f'check if this Vocab file successfully loads elsewhere') from exc
diff --git a/webapp/api/api/utils.py b/webapp/api/api/utils.py
index 41039dfe..03354f26 100644
--- a/webapp/api/api/utils.py
+++ b/webapp/api/api/utils.py
@@ -47,8 +47,9 @@ def add_annotations(spacy_doc, user, project, document, existing_annotations, ca
                         for task_name in spacy_doc._.ents[0]._.meta_anns.keys()}
         metataskvals2obj = {task_name: {v.name: v for v in MetaTask.objects.get(name=task_name).values.all()}
                             for task_name in spacy_doc._.ents[0]._.meta_anns.keys()}
-    except AttributeError:
-        # ignore meta_anns that are not present - i.e. non model pack preds,
+    except (AttributeError, IndexError):
+        # IndexError: ignore if there are no annotations in this doc
+        # AttributeError: ignore meta_anns that are not present - i.e. non model pack preds
         # or model pack preds with no meta_anns
         metatask2obj = {}
         metataskvals2obj = {}