diff --git a/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/controller/SubmissionController.kt b/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/controller/SubmissionController.kt
index 7627dfc3c..5b1c16cb3 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/controller/SubmissionController.kt
+++ b/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/controller/SubmissionController.kt
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ private val log = KotlinLogging.logger { }
 @RequestMapping("/{organism}")
 @Validated
 @SecurityRequirement(name = "bearerAuth")
-class SubmissionController(
+open class SubmissionController(
     private val submitModel: SubmitModel,
     private val releasedDataModel: ReleasedDataModel,
     private val submissionDatabaseService: SubmissionDatabaseService,