diff --git a/setup/itopdesignformat.class.inc.php b/setup/itopdesignformat.class.inc.php
index 619083ed9..0954a7645 100644
--- a/setup/itopdesignformat.class.inc.php
+++ b/setup/itopdesignformat.class.inc.php
@@ -785,6 +785,12 @@ class iTopDesignFormat
 			if ($oFieldsSemanticNodeList->length > 0) {
 				$oSemanticNode = $oFieldsSemanticNodeList->item(0);
 			} else {
+				if (is_null($oPropertiesNode)) {
+					// No properties node found, create it
+					$oClassNode = $oXPath->query("../..", $oNode)->item(0);
+					$oPropertiesNode = $oClassNode->ownerDocument->createElement("properties");
+					$oClassNode->appendChild($oPropertiesNode);
+				}
 				$oSemanticNode = $oPropertiesNode->ownerDocument->createElement("fields_semantic");
 				$oPropertiesNode->appendChild($oSemanticNode);
 			}
diff --git a/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.expected.xml b/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.expected.xml
index 05f5ceb6c..a8d090971 100644
--- a/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.expected.xml
+++ b/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.expected.xml
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@
       </properties>
       <lifecycle/>
     </class>
+    <class id="ClassWithLifecycleNoProperties">
+      <lifecycle/>
+      <properties>
+        <fields_semantic>
+          <state_attribute>foo</state_attribute>
+        </fields_semantic>
+      </properties>
+    </class>
     <class id="OtherClass">
       <properties>
         <style>
diff --git a/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.input.xml b/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.input.xml
index ac8e83486..a1093936c 100644
--- a/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.input.xml
+++ b/test/setup/iTopDesignFormat/Convert-samples/1.7_to_3.0.input.xml
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@
         <attribute>foo</attribute>
       </lifecycle>
     </class>
+    <class id="ClassWithLifecycleNoProperties">
+      <lifecycle>
+        <attribute>foo</attribute>
+      </lifecycle>
+    </class>
     <class id="OtherClass">
       <properties>
         <icon revisionid="2" _delta="redefine">