diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/ImageCropperTemplateExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/ImageCropperTemplateExtensions.cs
index 5dea93d9a8..163200dae2 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/ImageCropperTemplateExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/ImageCropperTemplateExtensions.cs
@@ -56,15 +56,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web
             if (mediaItem.HasPropertyAndValueAndCrop(propertyAlias, cropAlias))
             {
                 imageCropperValue = mediaItem.GetPropertyValue<string>(propertyAlias);
+
+                //get the raw value (this will be json)
+                var urlValue = mediaItem.GetPropertyValue<string>(propertyAlias);
+
+                mediaItemUrl = urlValue.DetectIsJson()
+                    ? urlValue.SerializeToCropDataSet().Src
+                    : urlValue;
             }
 
-            //get the raw value (this will be json)
-            var urlValue = mediaItem.GetPropertyValue<string>(propertyAlias);
-
-            mediaItemUrl = urlValue.DetectIsJson()
-                ? urlValue.SerializeToCropDataSet().Src
-                : urlValue;
-
             return mediaItemUrl != null
                 ? GetCropUrl(mediaItemUrl, width, height, quality, imageCropMode, imageCropAnchor, imageCropperValue, cropAlias, furtherOptions)
                 : string.Empty;