diff --git a/src/pretix/api/views/checkin.py b/src/pretix/api/views/checkin.py
index 60eb79ee0c..61a73a2261 100644
--- a/src/pretix/api/views/checkin.py
+++ b/src/pretix/api/views/checkin.py
@@ -165,26 +165,30 @@ class CheckinListViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
 
         clist = self.get_object()
 
-        if not serializer.validated_data.get('position') and 'events_and_checkin_lists' in self.request.data:
+        if not serializer.validated_data.get('position'):
             # an offline checkin failed, let's see whether a ticket with the given secret actually exists and just
             # was not synced in time, so we can enrich the log message
-            candidate_position = OrderPosition.all.filter(
-                organizer=self.request.organizer,
-                secret=serializer.validated_data['raw_barcode']
-            ).first()
-            if candidate_position.event.pk != clist.event.pk:
-                try:
-                    list_id = next(list_id for event_slug, list_id in self.request.data['events_and_checkin_lists']
-                                   if event_slug == candidate_position.event.slug)
-                except StopIteration:  # ignore if candidate position's event was not active on device
-                    pass
-                else:
+            try:
+                candidate_position = OrderPosition.all.get(
+                    organizer=self.request.organizer,
+                    secret=serializer.validated_data['raw_barcode']
+                )
+            except (OrderPosition.DoesNotExist, OrderPosition.MultipleObjectsReturned):
+                pass
+            else:
+                if candidate_position.event.pk != clist.event.pk and 'events_and_checkin_lists' in self.request.data:
                     try:
-                        clist = candidate_position.event.checkin_lists.get(pk=list_id)
-                    except CheckinList.DoesNotExist:  # ignore if list deleted in between
+                        list_id = next(list_id for event_slug, list_id in self.request.data['events_and_checkin_lists']
+                                       if event_slug == candidate_position.event.slug)
+                    except StopIteration:  # ignore if candidate position's event was not active on device
                         pass
-            if candidate_position.event.pk == clist.event.pk:
-                kwargs['position'] = candidate_position
+                    else:
+                        try:
+                            clist = candidate_position.event.checkin_lists.get(pk=list_id)
+                        except CheckinList.DoesNotExist:  # ignore if list deleted in between
+                            pass
+                if candidate_position.event.pk == clist.event.pk:
+                    kwargs['position'] = candidate_position
 
         if serializer.validated_data.get('nonce'):
             if kwargs.get('position'):