diff --git a/server_addon/houdini/client/ayon_houdini/plugins/publish/collect_frames.py b/server_addon/houdini/client/ayon_houdini/plugins/publish/collect_frames.py
index 3378657bfd..82f986ee13 100644
--- a/server_addon/houdini/client/ayon_houdini/plugins/publish/collect_frames.py
+++ b/server_addon/houdini/client/ayon_houdini/plugins/publish/collect_frames.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class CollectFrames(plugin.HoudiniInstancePlugin):
 
         # todo: `frames` currently conflicts with "explicit frames" for a
         #       for a custom frame list. So this should be refactored.
-        instance.data.update({"frames": result})
+        instance.data["frames"] = result
 
     @staticmethod
     def create_file_list(match, start_frame, end_frame):