diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_aaf.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_aaf.cc
index 7a69fba7f4..160cc80eb1 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_aaf.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour_ui_aaf.cc
@@ -590,18 +590,23 @@ ARDOUR_UI::new_session_from_aaf (string const& aaf, string const& target_dir, st
 			}
 
 			int   essenceError = 0;
-			char* essenceName  = aafAudioClip->essencePointerList->essenceFile->name;
+			char* essenceName  = NULL;
 
 			AAFI_foreachEssencePointer (aafAudioClip->essencePointerList, aafAudioEssencePtr)
 			{
 				struct aafiAudioEssenceFile* audioEssenceFile = aafAudioEssencePtr->essenceFile;
 
 				if (!audioEssenceFile) {
-					PBD::error << string_compose (_ ("AAF: Could not create new region for clip '%1': Missing audio essence"), audioEssenceFile->unique_name) << endmsg;
+					/* should not happen */
+					PBD::error << _ ("AAF: Audio essence pointer is missing an audio essence file entry") << endmsg;
 					essenceError++;
 					continue;
 				}
 
+				if (!essenceName) {
+					essenceName = aafAudioClip->essencePointerList->essenceFile->name;
+				}
+
 				if (audioEssenceFile->is_embedded) {
 					if (aafi_extractAudioEssenceFile (aafi, audioEssenceFile, AAFI_EXTRACT_DEFAULT, media_cache_path.c_str (), 0, 0, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
 						PBD::error << string_compose ("AAF: Could not extract audio file '%1' from AAF.", audioEssenceFile->unique_name) << endmsg;