diff --git a/plugins/importexport/native/filter/NativeXmlSubmissionFileFilter.inc.php b/plugins/importexport/native/filter/NativeXmlSubmissionFileFilter.inc.php
index b57dfd44926..cf31ed6e87f 100644
--- a/plugins/importexport/native/filter/NativeXmlSubmissionFileFilter.inc.php
+++ b/plugins/importexport/native/filter/NativeXmlSubmissionFileFilter.inc.php
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ function handleRevisionChildElement($node, $submission, $submissionFile) {
 					if (!filesize($temporaryFilename)) {
 						$errorFlag = true;
 					}
-				} elseif (substr($filesrc, 1, 1) === '/') {
+				} elseif (substr($filesrc, 0, 1) === '/') {
 					// local file (absolute path)
 					if (!copy($filesrc, $temporaryFilename)) {
 						$errorFlag = true;