diff --git a/bin/tools/convert.py b/bin/tools/convert.py
index 8993968658a..dedc7abb858 100644
--- a/bin/tools/convert.py
+++ b/bin/tools/convert.py
@@ -203,8 +203,17 @@ class assertion_report(object):
 
 class xml_import(object):
 
-    def isnoupdate(self, data_node = None):
-        return self.noupdate or (data_node and data_node.getAttribute('noupdate').strip() not in ('', '0', 'False'))
+    @staticmethod
+    def nodeattr2bool(node, attr, default=False):
+        if not node.hasAttribute(attr):
+            return default
+        val = node.getAttribute(attr).strip()
+        if not val:
+            return default
+        return val.lower() not in ('0', 'false', 'off')
+    
+    def isnoupdate(self, data_node=None):
+        return self.noupdate or (data_node and self.nodeattr2bool(data_node, 'noupdate', False)) 
 
     def get_context(self, data_node, node, eval_dict):
         data_node_context = (data_node and data_node.getAttribute('context').encode('utf8'))
@@ -677,12 +686,11 @@ form: module.record_id""" % (xml_id,)
                     return None
                 else:
                     # if the resource didn't exist
-                    if rec.getAttribute("forcecreate"):
-                        # we want to create it, so we let the normal "update" behavior happen
-                        pass
-                    else:
-                        # otherwise do nothing
+                    if not self.nodeattr2bool(rec, 'forcecreate', True):
+                        # we don't want to create it, so we skip it
                         return None
+                    # else, we let the record to be created
+                
             else:
                 # otherwise it is skipped
                 return None