diff --git a/LabPurchasing/resources/queries/labpurchasing/referenceItems.js b/LabPurchasing/resources/queries/labpurchasing/referenceItems.js
index 01511b98b..4848cdbcc 100644
--- a/LabPurchasing/resources/queries/labpurchasing/referenceItems.js
+++ b/LabPurchasing/resources/queries/labpurchasing/referenceItems.js
@@ -2,24 +2,28 @@ var LABKEY = require("labkey");
 var console = require("console");
 
 function beforeInsert(row, errors){
-    // Allow resulting vendorId from name:
-    if (row.vendorName && !row.vendorId) {
-        LABKEY.Query.selectRows({
-            schemaName: 'labpurchasing',
-            queryName: 'vendors',
-            columns: 'rowid',
-            filterArray: [LABKEY.Filter.create('vendorName', row.vendorName)],
-            sort: '-rowid',
-            maxRows: 1,
-            scope: this,
-            success: function(results) {
-                if (results.rows.length) {
-                    row.vendorId = results.rows[0].rowId;
+    // The purpose of this is to allow the user to provide a string value for
+    // vendorId or vendorName, and attempt to resolve this against known vendors:
+    if (!row.vendorId || isNaN(row.vendorId)) {
+        var vendorName = row.vendorName || row.vendorId;
+        if (vendorName) {
+            LABKEY.Query.selectRows({
+                schemaName: 'labpurchasing',
+                queryName: 'vendors',
+                columns: 'rowid',
+                filterArray: [LABKEY.Filter.create('vendorName', vendorName)],
+                sort: '-rowid',
+                maxRows: 1,
+                scope: this,
+                success: function(results) {
+                    if (results.rows.length) {
+                        row.vendorId = results.rows[0].rowId;
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        console.error("Unable to resolve vendor: " + vendorName);
+                    }
                 }
-                else {
-                    console.error("Unable to resolve vendorname: " + row.vendorName);
-                }
-            }
-        })
+            })
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file