diff --git a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
index f117b67..9990fff 100644
--- a/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
+++ b/dotdrop/cfg_yaml.py
@@ -696,7 +696,8 @@ class CfgYaml:
         """add an existing dotfile key to a profile_key"""
         self._new_profile(profile_key)
         profile = self.yaml_dict[self.key_profiles][profile_key]
-        if self.key_profile_dotfiles not in profile:
+        if self.key_profile_dotfiles not in profile or \
+                profile[self.key_profile_dotfiles] is None:
             profile[self.key_profile_dotfiles] = []
         pdfs = profile[self.key_profile_dotfiles]
         if self.key_all not in pdfs and \