diff --git a/Koha/BackgroundJob/ImportKBARTFile.pm b/Koha/BackgroundJob/ImportKBARTFile.pm
index eb68fe7a6c..080e99b7a3 100644
--- a/Koha/BackgroundJob/ImportKBARTFile.pm
+++ b/Koha/BackgroundJob/ImportKBARTFile.pm
@@ -235,7 +235,8 @@ sub read_file {
             sep_char           => $delimiter,
             quote_char         => $quote_char,
             binary             => 1,
-            allow_loose_quotes => 1
+            allow_loose_quotes => 1,
+            formula            => 'empty'
         }
     );
     my $headers_to_check = $csv->getline($fh);
diff --git a/Koha/ERM/EUsage/CounterFile.pm b/Koha/ERM/EUsage/CounterFile.pm
index 2d5d80f15c..95c6180f2a 100644
--- a/Koha/ERM/EUsage/CounterFile.pm
+++ b/Koha/ERM/EUsage/CounterFile.pm
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ sub validate {
     my ($self) = @_;
 
     open my $fh, "<", \$self->file_content or die;
-    my $csv = Text::CSV_XS->new( { binary => 1, always_quote => 1, eol => $/, decode_utf8 => 1 } );
+    my $csv = Text::CSV_XS->new( { binary => 1, always_quote => 1, eol => $/, decode_utf8 => 1, formula => 'empty' } );
 
     $csv->column_names(qw( header_key header_value ));
     my @header_rows = $csv->getline_hr_all( $fh, 0, 12 );
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ sub _set_report_type_from_file {
     my ($self) = @_;
 
     open my $fh, "<", \$self->file_content or die;
-    my $csv = Text::CSV_XS->new( { binary => 1, always_quote => 1, eol => $/, decode_utf8 => 1 } );
+    my $csv = Text::CSV_XS->new( { binary => 1, always_quote => 1, eol => $/, decode_utf8 => 1, formula => 'empty' } );
 
     $csv->column_names(qw( header_key header_value ));
     my @header_rows = $csv->getline_hr_all( $fh, 0, 12 );
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ sub _get_rows_from_COUNTER_file {
     my ($self) = @_;
 
     open my $fh, "<", \$self->file_content or die;
-    my $csv = Text::CSV_XS->new( { binary => 1, always_quote => 1, eol => $/, decode_utf8 => 1 } );
+    my $csv = Text::CSV_XS->new( { binary => 1, always_quote => 1, eol => $/, decode_utf8 => 1, formula => 'empty' } );
 
     my $header_columns = $csv->getline_all( $fh, 13, 1 );
     $csv->column_names( @{$header_columns}[0] );
diff --git a/Koha/Patrons/Import.pm b/Koha/Patrons/Import.pm
index f36495d76a..3e42233949 100644
--- a/Koha/Patrons/Import.pm
+++ b/Koha/Patrons/Import.pm
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ has 'today_iso' => (
 
 has 'text_csv' => (
     is      => 'rw', lazy => 1,
-    default => sub { Text::CSV->new( { binary => 1, } ); },
+    default => sub { Text::CSV->new( { binary => 1, formula => 'empty' } ); },
 );
 
 sub import_patrons {