diff --git a/submissions/forms.py b/submissions/forms.py
index eb582fe3f90e0e6b988271dd66f6c2a31ce96f98..f6374b473b953a6dd53b3c0ea72183617fb1039a 100644
--- a/submissions/forms.py
+++ b/submissions/forms.py
@@ -823,18 +823,21 @@ class WithdrawSubmissionForm(forms.Form):
                 status=STATUS_COMPLETED)
 
             # Deprecate any outstanding recommendations
-            EICRecommendation.objects.filter(submission=self.submission).active().update(
-                status=DEPRECATED)
-            self.submission.refresh_from_db()
+            if EICRecommendation.objects.filter(submission=self.submission).exists():
+                EICRecommendation.objects.filter(submission=self.submission).active().update(
+                    status=DEPRECATED)
 
             # Update editorial decision
-            EditorialDecision.objects.filter(submission=self.submission).last().update(
-                status=EditorialDecision.PUBOFFER_REFUSED_BY_AUTHORS)
+            if EditorialDecision.objects.filter(submission=self.submission).exists():
+                EditorialDecision.objects.filter(submission=self.submission).last().update(
+                    status=EditorialDecision.PUBOFFER_REFUSED_BY_AUTHORS)
 
             # Delete any production stream
             if self.submission.production_stream:
                 self.submission.production_stream.delete()
 
+            self.submission.refresh_from_db()
+
         return self.submission
 
 
diff --git a/submissions/models.py b/submissions/models.py
index 95c831ed8ed96cffc763eeb59bcd51f4b80d0182..08a0f0340638be671dd5291a6ff08db38a27ccde 100644
--- a/submissions/models.py
+++ b/submissions/models.py
@@ -413,7 +413,9 @@ class Submission(models.Model):
     @property
     def editorial_decision(self):
         """Returns the EditorialDecision (if exists and not deprecated)."""
-        return self.editorialdecision_set.last()
+        if self.editorialdecision_set.exists():
+            return self.editorialdecision_set.last()
+        return None
 
 
 class SubmissionEvent(SubmissionRelatedObjectMixin, TimeStampedModel):