diff --git a/GUI/Models/ItemCatalog.cpp b/GUI/Models/ItemCatalog.cpp
index 2ea44f5043e1a7fed65202672004fba81635a0e9..fe56bf519c6a64297e50f0d649e3dea7c0f86c32 100644
--- a/GUI/Models/ItemCatalog.cpp
+++ b/GUI/Models/ItemCatalog.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ ItemCatalog::ItemCatalog()
     add("InterferenceRadialParaCrystal", create_new<InterferenceFunctionRadialParaCrystalItem>);
     add("GISASInstrument", create_new<GISASInstrumentItem>);
     add("OffSpecularInstrument", create_new<OffSpecularInstrumentItem>);
+    // the following line is necessary for loading BornAgain projects which have been created before
+    // global renaming to "OffSpecularInstrument"
+    add("OffSpecInstrument", create_new<OffSpecularInstrumentItem>);
     add("SpecularInstrument", create_new<SpecularInstrumentItem>);
     addItem<GISASBeamItem>();
     addItem<SpecularBeamItem>();