diff --git a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferDataset.py b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferDataset.py
index f209dde80e..5815accf70 100644
--- a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferDataset.py
+++ b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferDataset.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class DBSBufferDataset(WMConnectionBase, dict):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, path, id = -1,
-                 processingVer = None, acquisitionEra = None, validStatus = None,
+                 processingVer = 0, acquisitionEra = None, validStatus = None,
                  globalTag = None, parent = None, prep_id = None):
         """
         Initialize the stored attributes and
diff --git a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py
index 62ced2b5bb..fcd7beed92 100644
--- a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py
+++ b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/DBSBufferFile.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def __init__(self, lfn=None, id=-1, size=None,
         self.setdefault("psetHash", None)
         self.setdefault("configContent", None)
         self.setdefault("datasetPath", None)
-        self.setdefault("processingVer", None)
+        self.setdefault("processingVer", 0)
         self.setdefault("acquisitionEra", None)
         self.setdefault("validStatus", None)
         self.setdefault("globalTag", None)
diff --git a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/MySQL/NewDataset.py b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/MySQL/NewDataset.py
index a76aab6283..cbafb6a644 100644
--- a/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/MySQL/NewDataset.py
+++ b/src/python/WMComponent/DBS3Buffer/MySQL/NewDataset.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class NewDataset(DBFormatter):
     sql = """INSERT IGNORE INTO dbsbuffer_dataset (path, processing_ver, acquisition_era, valid_status, global_tag, parent, prep_id)
                VALUES (:path, :processing_ver, :acquisition_era, :valid_status, :global_tag, :parent, :prep_id)"""
 
-    def execute(self, datasetPath, acquisitionEra = None, processingVer = None, validStatus = None,
+    def execute(self, datasetPath, acquisitionEra = None, processingVer = 0, validStatus = None,
                 globalTag = None, parent = None, prep_id = None, conn = None, transaction = False):
         """
         _execute_
diff --git a/src/python/WMComponent/JobAccountant/AccountantWorker.py b/src/python/WMComponent/JobAccountant/AccountantWorker.py
index b4236acd6c..493fb087d9 100644
--- a/src/python/WMComponent/JobAccountant/AccountantWorker.py
+++ b/src/python/WMComponent/JobAccountant/AccountantWorker.py
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ def addFileToDBS(self, jobReportFile, task, errorDataset=False):
                                                   datasetInfo["dataTier"]))
 
         dbsFile.setValidStatus(validStatus=jobReportFile.get("validStatus", None))
-        dbsFile.setProcessingVer(ver=jobReportFile.get('processingVer', None))
+        dbsFile.setProcessingVer(ver=jobReportFile.get('processingVer', 0))
         dbsFile.setAcquisitionEra(era=jobReportFile.get('acquisitionEra', None))
         dbsFile.setGlobalTag(globalTag=jobReportFile.get('globalTag', None))
         # TODO need to find where to get the prep id
diff --git a/src/python/WMCore/FwkJobReport/Report.py b/src/python/WMCore/FwkJobReport/Report.py
index e1de8e2f83..80f3cc016b 100644
--- a/src/python/WMCore/FwkJobReport/Report.py
+++ b/src/python/WMCore/FwkJobReport/Report.py
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ def getOutputFile(self, fileName, outputModule, step):
         newFile["merged"] = bool(getattr(fileRef, "merged", False))
         newFile["dataset"] = getattr(fileRef, "dataset", {})
         newFile["acquisitionEra"] = getattr(fileRef, 'acquisitionEra', None)
-        newFile["processingVer"] = getattr(fileRef, 'processingVer', None)
+        newFile["processingVer"] = getattr(fileRef, 'processingVer', 0)
         newFile["validStatus"] = getattr(fileRef, 'validStatus', None)
         newFile["globalTag"] = getattr(fileRef, 'globalTag', None)
         newFile["prep_id"] = getattr(fileRef, 'prep_id', None)