diff --git a/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoder.java b/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoder.java
index 9fb12b01..19bc9888 100644
--- a/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoder.java
+++ b/metafacture-biblio/src/main/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoder.java
@@ -95,6 +95,11 @@ public String close(final Object[] args) {
 
     private static final int LEADER_ENTITY_LENGTH = 5;
 
+    private static final int LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_LENGTH = 8;
+    private static final int LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_POS_04 = 4;
+    private static final int LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_POS_05 = 5;
+    private static final int LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_POS_07 = 7;
+
     private static final int IND1_BEGIN = 3;
     private static final int IND1_END = 4;
     private static final int IND2_BEGIN = 4;
@@ -445,7 +450,12 @@ private void writeLeader() {
                 }
 
                 writeTagLeader(Tag.leader::open);
-                writeRawLeader("0000" + leader.substring(0, 4) + "2200000" + leader.substring(5, 7) + "4500"); // creates a valid leader without counted elements
+                if (leader.length() == LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_LENGTH) {
+                    writeRawLeader("0000" + leader.substring(0, LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_POS_04) + "2200000" + leader.substring(LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_POS_05, LEADER_CONCAT_ENTITIES_POS_07) + "4500"); // creates a valid leader without counted elements
+                }
+                else {
+                    writeRawLeader(leader);
+                }
                 writeTagLeader(Tag.leader::close);
 
                 if (formatted) {
diff --git a/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoderTest.java b/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoderTest.java
index 2e1c8df2..5d62ff24 100644
--- a/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoderTest.java
+++ b/metafacture-biblio/src/test/java/org/metafacture/biblio/marc21/MarcXmlEncoderTest.java
@@ -301,13 +301,13 @@ public void issue548_failWhenLeaderIsNotFirst() {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void issue527_shouldEmitLeaderAlwaysAsWholeString() {
+    public void issue527_shouldEmitLeaderAlwaysAsWholeStringWithAddedDefaultLeaderValuesIfLeaderLengthIs8() {
         createRecordWithLeader("1", "a", "o", "a", " ", "a", "z", "u", " ");
         createRecordWithLeader("2", "d", "u", "m", " ", "m", "y", "#", " ");
         encoder.closeStream();
         String expected = XML_DECLARATION + XML_ROOT_OPEN
-                + "<marc:record><marc:leader>aoa azu </marc:leader></marc:record>"
-                + "<marc:record><marc:leader>dum my# </marc:leader></marc:record>" + XML_MARC_COLLECTION_END_TAG;
+                + "<marc:record><marc:leader>0000aoa 2200000zu4500</marc:leader></marc:record>"
+                + "<marc:record><marc:leader>0000dum 2200000y#4500</marc:leader></marc:record>" + XML_MARC_COLLECTION_END_TAG;
         String actual = resultCollector.toString();
         assertEquals(expected, actual);
     }
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ public void issue527_shouldEmitLeaderAlwaysAsWholeString() {
     @Test(expected = MissingIdException.class)
     public void issue527_shouldEmitLeaderAlwaysAsWholeString_ensureCorrectMarc21Xml() {
         encoder.setEnsureCorrectMarc21Xml(true);
-        issue527_shouldEmitLeaderAlwaysAsWholeString();
+        issue527_shouldEmitLeaderAlwaysAsWholeStringWithAddedDefaultLeaderValuesIfLeaderLengthIs8();
     }
 
     @Test