diff --git a/pype/plugins/global/publish/collect_avalon_entities.py b/pype/plugins/global/publish/collect_avalon_entities.py
index 20899361c5..299e2f03be 100644
--- a/pype/plugins/global/publish/collect_avalon_entities.py
+++ b/pype/plugins/global/publish/collect_avalon_entities.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ class CollectAvalonEntities(pyblish.api.ContextPlugin):
         context.data["assetEntity"] = asset_entity
 
         data = asset_entity['data']
-        context.data['handles'] = int(data.get("handles", 0))
-        context.data["handleStart"] = int(data.get("handleStart", 0))
-        context.data["handleEnd"] = int(data.get("handleEnd", 0))
+        handles = int(data.get("handles", 0))
+        context.data["handles"] = handles
+        context.data["handleStart"] = int(data.get("handleStart", handles))
+        context.data["handleEnd"] = int(data.get("handleEnd", handles))