diff --git a/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/upgrade.py b/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/upgrade.py
index e111357b2..bd1593d79 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/upgrade.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/upgrade.py
@@ -77,6 +77,17 @@ def gramps_upgrade_pickle(self):
     with BSDDBTxn(self.env, self.metadata) as txn:
         txn.put(b'upgraded', 'Yes')
 
+def gramps_upgrade_19(self):
+    """
+    Upgrade database from version 18 to 19.
+    """
+    default_handle = self.metadata.get(b'default')
+    with BSDDBTxn(self.env, self.metadata) as txn:
+        if default_handle is not None:
+            default_handle = default_handle.decode('utf-8')
+            txn.put(b'default', default_handle)
+        txn.put(b'version', 19)
+
 def gramps_upgrade_18(self):
     """
     Upgrade database from version 17 to 18.
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/write.py b/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/write.py
index 34623a9b8..5bdcd5455 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/write.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/db/bsddb/write.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(".citation")
 #_hdlr.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(fmt="%(name)s.%(levelname)s: %(message)s"))
 #_LOG.addHandler(_hdlr)
 _MINVERSION = 9
-_DBVERSION = 18
+_DBVERSION = 19
 
 IDTRANS     = "person_id"
 FIDTRANS    = "family_id"
@@ -2159,6 +2159,8 @@ class DbBsddb(DbBsddbRead, DbWriteBase, UpdateCallback):
             upgrade.gramps_upgrade_17(self)
         if version < 18:
             upgrade.gramps_upgrade_18(self)
+        if version < 19:
+            upgrade.gramps_upgrade_19(self)
 
             self.reset()
             self.set_total(6)