diff --git a/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/include/seerep_hdf5_core/hdf5_core_general.h b/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/include/seerep_hdf5_core/hdf5_core_general.h
index ae4d02bc3..7308850f7 100644
--- a/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/include/seerep_hdf5_core/hdf5_core_general.h
+++ b/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/include/seerep_hdf5_core/hdf5_core_general.h
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class Hdf5CoreGeneral
   std::string readProjectFrameId();
 
   void writeVersion(const std::string& version);
-  const std::string readVersion();
+  const std::optional<std::string> readVersion();
 
   // ################
   //  Geodetic Coordinates
diff --git a/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/src/hdf5_core_general.cpp b/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/src/hdf5_core_general.cpp
index ea375a7f5..811e1d29d 100644
--- a/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/src/hdf5_core_general.cpp
+++ b/seerep_hdf5/seerep_hdf5_core/src/hdf5_core_general.cpp
@@ -109,19 +109,22 @@ void Hdf5CoreGeneral::writeVersion(const std::string& version)
   }
   m_file->flush();
 }
-const std::string Hdf5CoreGeneral::readVersion()
+
+const std::optional<std::string> Hdf5CoreGeneral::readVersion()
 {
   const std::scoped_lock lock(*m_write_mtx);
 
   std::string version;
   try
   {
-    m_file->getAttribute(VERSION).read(version);
+    version = readAttributeFromHdf5<std::string>(m_file->getName(), *m_file, VERSION);
   }
-  catch (...)
+  catch (const std::exception& e)
   {
-    throw std::runtime_error("Project " + m_file->getName() + "  has no version defined.");
+    BOOST_LOG_SEV(m_logger, boost::log::trivial::severity_level::warning) << e.what();
+    return std::nullopt;
   }
+
   return version;
 }
 
diff --git a/seerep_srv/seerep_core/src/core_project.cpp b/seerep_srv/seerep_core/src/core_project.cpp
index 5d53577c8..bdc82e810 100644
--- a/seerep_srv/seerep_core/src/core_project.cpp
+++ b/seerep_srv/seerep_core/src/core_project.cpp
@@ -8,17 +8,23 @@ CoreProject::CoreProject(const boost::uuids::uuid& uuid, const std::string path)
 
   m_projectname = m_ioGeneral->readProjectname();
   m_frameId = m_ioGeneral->readProjectFrameId();
-  m_version = m_ioGeneral->readVersion();
-  /// TODO use the advantages of std::optional
+
+  /* get optional class members */
   auto geodeticCoordinates = m_ioGeneral->readGeodeticLocation();
+  auto version = m_ioGeneral->readVersion();
+
+  if (version)
+  {
+    m_version = version.value();
+  }
 
   if (geodeticCoordinates)
   {
     m_geodeticCoordinates = geodeticCoordinates.value();
   }
-
   recreateDatatypes();
 }
+
 CoreProject::CoreProject(const boost::uuids::uuid& uuid, const std::string path, const std::string projectname,
                          const std::string mapFrameId, const seerep_core_msgs::GeodeticCoordinates geodeticCoords,
                          const std::string version)