diff --git a/core/views/caves.py b/core/views/caves.py
index 445d6c6..be4278a 100644
--- a/core/views/caves.py
+++ b/core/views/caves.py
@@ -442,13 +442,19 @@ def edit_entrance(request, path="", caveslug=None, entslug=None):
         entrance = None
 
     if entslug:
-        print(f"{caveslug=} {entslug=} {path=}")
+        print(f"{caveslug=} {entslug=} {path=} number of ents:{cave.entrances().count()}")
         caveAndEntrance = CaveAndEntrance.objects.get(entrance=entrance, cave=cave)
-        entlettereditable = False
+        entlettereditable = False  
     else:
         caveAndEntrance = CaveAndEntrance(cave=cave, entrance=Entrance())
         entlettereditable = True
-
+        
+    if caveAndEntrance.entranceletter == "" and cave.entrances().count() > 0 :
+        # this should not be blank on a multiple-entrance cave
+        entlettereditable = True 
+      
+    print(f"{entlettereditable=}")
+       
     if request.POST:
         print(f"Online edit of entrance {entrance.slug}")
         form = EntranceForm(request.POST, instance=entrance)
diff --git a/parsers/caves.py b/parsers/caves.py
index 08c336c..9740d1f 100644
--- a/parsers/caves.py
+++ b/parsers/caves.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import re
+import string
 
 
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -511,7 +512,9 @@ def read_cave(filename, cave=None):
             if len(entrances) > 1 and letter =="":
                 # user error, but we can recover
                 letter = eslug[-1].lower()
-                message = f"- Warning - duplicate entrance or empty 'letter' field for '{eslug}' in cave '{cave}', setting to {letter}."         
+                if letter.lower() not in list(string.ascii_lowercase):
+                    letter = "x"
+                message = f"- Warning - Empty 'letter' field for '{eslug}' in multiple-entrance cave '{cave}', setting to {letter}."         
                 DataIssue.objects.create(parser="entrances", message=message, url=f"{cave.area}/{cave.area}-{cave.url}_cave_edit/")
                 print(message)