diff --git a/core/registrar.py b/core/registrar.py
index be32759d43acc862299587ecfb7afa82d31f922b..c501b6cd22e2de7f695dba6018f2ee41e288b179 100644
--- a/core/registrar.py
+++ b/core/registrar.py
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ def add_mask(product):
 
 
 def get_product_type_and_level(metadata_item):
+    level = None
     with access.vsi_open(metadata_item) as f:
         tree = lxml.etree.parse(f)
     root = tree.getroot()