diff --git a/src/app/shared/mocks/external-source.service.mock.ts b/src/app/shared/mocks/external-source.service.mock.ts
index 85d63189e5..fd6d7cdc46 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/mocks/external-source.service.mock.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/mocks/external-source.service.mock.ts
@@ -50,8 +50,7 @@ export const externalSourceMyStaffDb: ExternalSource = {
 /**
  * Mock for [[ExternalSourceService]]
  */
-export function getMockExternalSourceService():
-ExternalSourceService {
+export function getMockExternalSourceService(): ExternalSourceService {
   return jasmine.createSpyObj('ExternalSourceService', {
     findAll: jasmine.createSpy('findAll'),
     getExternalSourceEntries: jasmine.createSpy('getExternalSourceEntries'),
diff --git a/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.html b/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.html
index 919eec3f4a..bee5f5d872 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.html
+++ b/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.html
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   <div class="row">
     <div *ngIf="routeData.sourceId !== ''" class="col-md-12">
       <ng-container *ngVar="(entriesRD$ | async) as entriesRD">
-        <h3 *ngIf="entriesRD?.payload?.page?.length !== 0">{{ 'submission.sections.describe.relationship-lookup.selection-tab.title.' + routeData.sourceId | translate}}</h3>
+        <h3 *ngIf="entriesRD && entriesRD?.payload?.page?.length !== 0">{{ 'submission.sections.describe.relationship-lookup.selection-tab.title.' + routeData.sourceId | translate}}</h3>
         <ds-viewable-collection *ngIf="entriesRD?.hasSucceeded && !(isLoading$ | async) && entriesRD?.payload?.page?.length > 0" @fadeIn
                                 [objects]="entriesRD"
                                 [selectionConfig]="{ repeatable: repeatable, listId: listId }"
diff --git a/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.spec.ts b/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.spec.ts
index fdfa972cc0..10370d5e77 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.spec.ts
@@ -19,10 +19,9 @@ import { VarDirective } from '../../shared/utils/var.directive';
 import { routeServiceStub } from '../../shared/testing/route-service.stub';
 import { PaginatedSearchOptions } from '../../shared/search/paginated-search-options.model';
 import { PaginationComponentOptions } from '../../shared/pagination/pagination-component-options.model';
-import { createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject } from '../../shared/remote-data.utils';
+import { createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject, createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$ } from '../../shared/remote-data.utils';
 import { ExternalSourceEntry } from '../../core/shared/external-source-entry.model';
 import { SubmissionImportExternalPreviewComponent } from './import-external-preview/submission-import-external-preview.component';
-import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs/internal/BehaviorSubject';
 
 describe('SubmissionImportExternalComponent test suite', () => {
   let comp: SubmissionImportExternalComponent;
@@ -40,6 +39,7 @@ describe('SubmissionImportExternalComponent test suite', () => {
   const searchConfigServiceStub = {
     paginatedSearchOptions: mockSearchOptions
   };
+  const mockExternalSourceService: any = getMockExternalSourceService();
 
   beforeEach(async (() => {
     TestBed.configureTestingModule({
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe('SubmissionImportExternalComponent test suite', () => {
         VarDirective
       ],
       providers: [
-        { provide: ExternalSourceService, useClass: getMockExternalSourceService },
+        { provide: ExternalSourceService, useValue: mockExternalSourceService },
         { provide: SearchConfigurationService, useValue: searchConfigServiceStub },
         { provide: RouteService, useValue: routeServiceStub },
         { provide: Router, useValue: new RouterStub() },
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ describe('SubmissionImportExternalComponent test suite', () => {
       comp = fixture.componentInstance;
       compAsAny = comp;
       scheduler = getTestScheduler();
+      mockExternalSourceService.getExternalSourceEntries.and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(createPaginatedList([])))
     });
 
     afterEach(() => {
@@ -119,17 +120,17 @@ describe('SubmissionImportExternalComponent test suite', () => {
 
     it('Should call \'getExternalSourceEntries\' properly', () => {
       comp.routeData = { sourceId: '', query: '' };
-      comp.isLoading$ = new BehaviorSubject(false);
       scheduler.schedule(() => compAsAny.retrieveExternalSources('orcidV2', 'test'));
       scheduler.flush();
 
       expect(comp.routeData).toEqual({ sourceId: 'orcidV2', query: 'test' });
-      expect(comp.isLoading$.value).toBe(true);
+      expect(comp.isLoading$.value).toBe(false);
       expect(compAsAny.externalService.getExternalSourceEntries).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
     it('Should call \'router.navigate\'', () => {
-      spyOn(compAsAny, 'retrieveExternalSources');
+      comp.routeData = { sourceId: '', query: '' };
+      spyOn(compAsAny, 'retrieveExternalSources').and.callFake(() => null);
       compAsAny.router.navigate.and.returnValue( new Promise(() => {return;}))
       const event = { sourceId: 'orcidV2', query: 'dummy' };
 
diff --git a/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.ts b/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.ts
index 110a399287..d28186a703 100644
--- a/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/submission/import-external/submission-import-external.component.ts
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ export class SubmissionImportExternalComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   /**
    * The displayed list of entries
    */
-  public entriesRD$: BehaviorSubject<RemoteData<PaginatedList<ExternalSourceEntry>>>;
+  public entriesRD$: BehaviorSubject<RemoteData<PaginatedList<ExternalSourceEntry>>> = new BehaviorSubject<RemoteData<PaginatedList<ExternalSourceEntry>>>(null);
   /**
    * TRUE if the REST service is called to retrieve the external source items
    */
-  public isLoading$: BehaviorSubject<boolean>;
+  public isLoading$: BehaviorSubject<boolean> = new BehaviorSubject<boolean>(false);
   /**
    * Configuration to use for the import buttons
    */