diff --git a/src/ifcparse/file.cpp b/src/ifcparse/file.cpp
index 80ea1011fc..5f9b4dba5a 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/file.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/file.cpp
@@ -387,6 +387,8 @@ express::Base ifcopenshell::impl::rocks_db_file_storage::assert_existance(size_t
         if (is_entity != (r == entityinstance_ref)) {
             throw std::runtime_error("Incorrect reference");
         }
+        // @nb note that in case of type declarations we pass the identity as the number so
+        // that we can read back the attributes from the db (we cannot assign to identity).
         auto data = std::make_shared<instance_data>(file, decl, number, rocks_db_attribute_storage{});
         if (r == ifcopenshell::impl::rocks_db_file_storage::entityinstance_ref) {
             instance_cache_.insert({number, data});
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/instance_data.h b/src/ifcparse/instance_data.h
index 57d99b7da9..d80d9d2d0c 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/instance_data.h
+++ b/src/ifcparse/instance_data.h
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ class IFC_PARSE_API instance_data {
         }
 #ifdef IFOPSH_WITH_ROCKSDB
         else {
-            rocks_db_attribute_storage{}.set(get_storage_of_type<ifcopenshell::impl::rocks_db_file_storage>(), declaration_, declaration_->as_entity() ? id_ : identity_, attribute_index, value);
+            rocks_db_attribute_storage{}.set(get_storage_of_type<ifcopenshell::impl::rocks_db_file_storage>(), declaration_, id_ ? id_ : identity_, attribute_index, value);
         }
 #endif
     }
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ class IFC_PARSE_API instance_data {
         }
 #ifdef IFOPSH_WITH_ROCKSDB
         else {
-            return rocks_db_attribute_storage{}.has<T>(get_storage_of_type<ifcopenshell::impl::rocks_db_file_storage>(), declaration_, declaration_->as_entity() ? id_ : identity_, attribute_index);
+            return rocks_db_attribute_storage{}.has<T>(get_storage_of_type<ifcopenshell::impl::rocks_db_file_storage>(), declaration_, id_ ? id_ : identity_, attribute_index);
         }
 #endif
     }
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/parse.cpp b/src/ifcparse/parse.cpp
index 566c212865..f1a1ba2fd6 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/parse.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/parse.cpp
@@ -2957,7 +2957,7 @@ attribute_value instance_data::get_attribute_value(size_t index) const
                 return nullptr;
             }
         }, file_->storage_);
-        return attribute_value(storage, declaration_->as_entity() ? id_ : identity_, declaration_, (uint8_t)index);
+        return attribute_value(storage, id_ ? id_ : identity_, declaration_, (uint8_t)index);
     }
 }