diff --git a/phpgwapi/setup/tables_update.inc.php b/phpgwapi/setup/tables_update.inc.php
index ca0259448b..3d02ceb9c1 100644
--- a/phpgwapi/setup/tables_update.inc.php
+++ b/phpgwapi/setup/tables_update.inc.php
@@ -53,6 +53,13 @@ function phpgwapi_upgrade14_1()
  */
 function phpgwapi_upgrade14_1_900()
 {
+	// running 14.2 update, as add_account will write account_description and gives SQL error if it does not exist
+	$GLOBALS['egw_setup']->oProc->AddColumn('egw_accounts','account_description',array(
+		'type' => 'varchar',
+		'precision' => '255',
+		'comment' => 'group description'
+	));
+
 	// Create anonymous user for sharing of files
 	$GLOBALS['egw_setup']->add_account('NoGroup', 'No', 'Rights', false, false);
 	$anonymous = $GLOBALS['egw_setup']->add_account('anonymous', 'SiteMgr', 'User', 'anonymous', 'NoGroup');
@@ -62,12 +69,16 @@ function phpgwapi_upgrade14_1_900()
 }
 function phpgwapi_upgrade14_2()
 {
-	$GLOBALS['egw_setup']->oProc->AddColumn('egw_accounts','account_description',array(
-		'type' => 'varchar',
-		'precision' => '255',
-		'comment' => 'group description'
-	));
-
+	// check if egw_accounts.account_description already exists, as it might have been created by above upgrade
+	$meta = $GLOBALS['egw_setup']->db->metadata('egw_accounts', true);
+	if (!isset($meta['meta']['account_description']))
+	{
+		$GLOBALS['egw_setup']->oProc->AddColumn('egw_accounts','account_description',array(
+			'type' => 'varchar',
+			'precision' => '255',
+			'comment' => 'group description'
+		));
+	}
 	return $GLOBALS['setup_info']['phpgwapi']['currentver'] = '14.2.001';
 }