diff --git a/src/libs/neural_restore.c b/src/libs/neural_restore.c
index 03432595113c..64559fc625f6 100644
--- a/src/libs/neural_restore.c
+++ b/src/libs/neural_restore.c
@@ -995,13 +995,17 @@ static void _import_image(const char *filename,
     dt_print(DT_DEBUG_AI, "[neural_restore] imported imgid=%d: %s", newid, filename);
     if(dt_is_valid_imgid(source_imgid))
     {
-      dt_grouping_add_to_group(source_imgid, newid);
+      const dt_image_t *src = dt_image_cache_get(source_imgid, 'r');
+      // get source image group ID; fallback to source_imgid if cache miss to
+      // avoid invalid 0 (NO_IMGID) group ID
+      const dt_imgid_t grpid = (src && dt_is_valid_imgid(src->group_id)) ?
+        src->group_id : source_imgid;
+      dt_image_cache_read_release(src);
+      dt_grouping_add_to_group(grpid, newid);
       // promote the output as group leader, but only when the source
       // was the current leader — preserves any manually-set leader the
       // user deliberately chose
-      const dt_image_t *src = dt_image_cache_get(source_imgid, 'r');
-      const gboolean source_is_leader = src && src->group_id == source_imgid;
-      dt_image_cache_read_release(src);
+      const gboolean source_is_leader = (grpid == source_imgid);
       if(source_is_leader)
         dt_grouping_change_representative(newid);