diff --git a/journals/services.py b/journals/services.py
index 4cd4bb77ab7941818a5bfc36c720b25bdeb25fd1..5d8ea0d78b70bfca1b5c6917017fc492482623d8 100644
--- a/journals/services.py
+++ b/journals/services.py
@@ -61,7 +61,12 @@ def update_citedby(doi_label):
                     'Please contact the SciPost Admin.')
         return
 
-    response_deserialized = ET.fromstring(r.text)
+    try:
+        response_deserialized = ET.fromstring(r.text)
+    except ET.ParseError: # something went wrong, abort
+        logger.info('Response parsing failed for doi: %s', publication.doi_string)
+        return
+
     prefix = '{http://www.crossref.org/qrschema/2.0}'
     citations = []
     for link in response_deserialized.iter(prefix + 'forward_link'):