diff --git a/parsers/logbooks.py b/parsers/logbooks.py
index 33b8838..3789b4a 100644
--- a/parsers/logbooks.py
+++ b/parsers/logbooks.py
@@ -340,7 +340,8 @@ def parser_html(year, expedition, txt, seq=""):
     \s whitespace
     \S NOT whitespace
 
-    You can't see it here, but a round-trip export-then-import will move
+    You can't see it here, but a round-trip export-then-import 
+    for a new year logbook will move
     the endmatter up to the frontmatter. This made sense when translating
     from parser_html_01 format logfiles, believe me.
     """
@@ -351,11 +352,12 @@ def parser_html(year, expedition, txt, seq=""):
     headmatch = re.match(r"(?i)(?s).*<body[^>]*>(.*?)<hr.*", txt)
     headpara = headmatch.groups()[0].strip()
 
-    #print(f" - headpara:\n'{headpara}'")
     if len(headpara) > 0:
         frontpath = Path(settings.EXPOWEB, LOGBOOKS_DIR, year, "frontmatter.html")
-        with open(frontpath, "w") as front:
-            front.write(headpara + "\n")
+        if not frontpath.is_file:
+            # dont attempt to rewrite it. So this will only run once, for new logbook. Buggy otherwise.
+            with open(frontpath, "w") as front:
+                front.write(headpara + "\n")
 
     # extract END material and stash for later use when rebuilding from list of entries
     endmatch = re.match(r"(?i)(?s).*<hr\s*/>([\s\S]*?)(?=</body)", txt)