diff --git a/lib/display/display.c b/lib/display/display.c
index b511b8e39..cf3c7f64f 100644
--- a/lib/display/display.c
+++ b/lib/display/display.c
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ void vgdisplay_full(const struct volume_group *vg)
 
 	log_print("--- Volume group ---");
 	log_print("VG Name               %s", vg->name);
-	log_print("System ID             %s", vg->system_id);
+	log_print("System ID             %s", (vg->system_id && *vg->system_id) ? vg->system_id : vg->lvm1_system_id ? : "");
 	log_print("Format                %s", vg->fid->fmt->name);
 	if (vg->fid->fmt->features & FMT_MDAS) {
 		log_print("Metadata Areas        %d",
diff --git a/lib/format1/import-export.c b/lib/format1/import-export.c
index 8155b0437..9b387e2a1 100644
--- a/lib/format1/import-export.c
+++ b/lib/format1/import-export.c
@@ -156,8 +156,10 @@ int export_pv(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct dm_pool *mem __attribute__((unused
 	}
 
 	/* Preserve existing system_id if it exists */
-	if (vg && *vg->lvm1_system_id)
+	if (vg && vg->lvm1_system_id && *vg->lvm1_system_id)
 		strncpy((char *)pvd->system_id, vg->lvm1_system_id, sizeof(pvd->system_id));
+	else if (vg && vg->system_id && *vg->system_id)
+		strncpy((char *)pvd->system_id, vg->system_id, sizeof(pvd->system_id));
 
 	/* Is VG already exported or being exported? */
 	if (vg && vg_is_exported(vg)) {
diff --git a/lib/format_text/export.c b/lib/format_text/export.c
index ddaaebb54..8232e2f45 100644
--- a/lib/format_text/export.c
+++ b/lib/format_text/export.c
@@ -414,9 +414,11 @@ static int _print_vg(struct formatter *f, struct volume_group *vg)
 
 	if (!_out_tags(f, &vg->tags))
 		return_0;
-
+ 
 	if (vg->system_id && *vg->system_id)
 		outf(f, "system_id = \"%s\"", vg->system_id);
+	else if (vg->lvm1_system_id && *vg->lvm1_system_id)
+		outf(f, "system_id = \"%s\"", vg->lvm1_system_id);
 
 	outsize(f, (uint64_t) vg->extent_size, "extent_size = %u",
 		vg->extent_size);
diff --git a/lib/format_text/import_vsn1.c b/lib/format_text/import_vsn1.c
index 366e61cfa..64c08a0bd 100644
--- a/lib/format_text/import_vsn1.c
+++ b/lib/format_text/import_vsn1.c
@@ -883,8 +883,6 @@ static struct volume_group *_read_vg(struct format_instance *fid,
 	dm_hash_destroy(pv_hash);
 	dm_hash_destroy(lv_hash);
 
-	/* FIXME Determine format type from file contents */
-	/* eg Set to instance of fmt1 here if reading a format1 backup? */
 	vg_set_fid(vg, fid);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/lib/metadata/vg.c b/lib/metadata/vg.c
index 2bed1ad59..404cc6fa6 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/vg.c
+++ b/lib/metadata/vg.c
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ struct volume_group *alloc_vg(const char *pool_name, struct cmd_context *cmd,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	vg->system_id = "";
+
 	vg->cmd = cmd;
 	vg->vgmem = vgmem;
 	vg->alloc = ALLOC_NORMAL;
@@ -627,6 +629,9 @@ int vg_set_system_id(struct volume_group *vg, const char *system_id)
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	if (vg->lvm1_system_id)
+		*vg->lvm1_system_id = '\0';
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/report/report.c b/lib/report/report.c
index b5418e55b..75928c026 100644
--- a/lib/report/report.c
+++ b/lib/report/report.c
@@ -989,7 +989,7 @@ static int _vgsystemid_disp(struct dm_report *rh, struct dm_pool *mem,
 			    const void *data, void *private)
 {
 	const struct volume_group *vg = (const struct volume_group *) data;
-	const char *repstr = vg->system_id ? : vg->lvm1_system_id ? : "";
+	const char *repstr = (vg->system_id && *vg->system_id) ? vg->system_id : vg->lvm1_system_id ? : "";
 
 	return _string_disp(rh, mem, field, &repstr, private);
 }
diff --git a/tools/toollib.c b/tools/toollib.c
index 19c23fed8..12fe1e249 100644
--- a/tools/toollib.c
+++ b/tools/toollib.c
@@ -200,8 +200,9 @@ static int _ignore_vg(struct volume_group *vg, const char *vg_name,
 	 */
 	if (read_error & FAILED_SYSTEMID) {
 		if (arg_vgnames && str_list_match_item(arg_vgnames, vg->name)) {
-			log_error("Cannot access VG %s with system ID %s with local system ID %s.",
-				  vg->name, vg->system_id, vg->cmd->system_id);
+			log_error("Cannot access VG %s with system ID %s with %slocal system ID%s%s.",
+				  vg->name, vg->system_id, vg->cmd->system_id ? "" : "unknown ",
+				  vg->cmd->system_id ? " " : "", vg->cmd->system_id ? vg->cmd->system_id : "");
 			return 1;
 		} else {
 			read_error &= ~FAILED_SYSTEMID; /* Check for other errors */
diff --git a/tools/vgchange.c b/tools/vgchange.c
index 3f9772288..36b44a9ad 100644
--- a/tools/vgchange.c
+++ b/tools/vgchange.c
@@ -575,6 +575,9 @@ static int _vgchange_system_id(struct cmd_context *cmd, struct volume_group *vg)
 		    vg->name, vg->system_id, system_id);
 
 	vg->system_id = system_id;
+	
+	if (vg->lvm1_system_id)
+		*vg->lvm1_system_id = '\0';
 
 	return 1;
 }