diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 38ea9c4..5da3566 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 group = org.xbib
 name = marc
-version = 2.9.15
+version = 2.9.16
 
 org.gradle.warning.mode = ALL
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/marc/xml/MarcXchangeWriter.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/marc/xml/MarcXchangeWriter.java
index 784a15c..204e6bd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/marc/xml/MarcXchangeWriter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/marc/xml/MarcXchangeWriter.java
@@ -348,8 +348,12 @@ public class MarcXchangeWriter extends MarcContentHandler implements Flushable,
             if (field.isControl()) {
                 String value = field.getValue();
                 if (value == null || value.isEmpty()) {
-                    // the control field is disguised as a data field, try lookup value in first subfield of " "
-                    value = field.getFirstSubfieldValue(" ");
+                    // the control field is disguised as a data field, try lookup value in first subfield of "_"
+                    value = field.getFirstSubfieldValue("_");
+                    // if no value, maybe " "?
+                    if (value == null || value.isEmpty()) {
+                        value = field.getFirstSubfieldValue(" ");
+                    }
                     // still no value? Then it is some exotic like MAB with subfield "a"?
                     if (value == null || value.isEmpty()) {
                         value = field.getFirstSubfieldValue("a");