diff --git a/app/Importer/AssetImporter.php b/app/Importer/AssetImporter.php
index 1112a04e3..ad6902805 100644
--- a/app/Importer/AssetImporter.php
+++ b/app/Importer/AssetImporter.php
@@ -16,10 +16,22 @@ class AssetImporter extends ItemImporter
     {
         parent::__construct($filename);
 
-        $this->defaultStatusLabelId = Statuslabel::first()->id;
-        
+        $this->defaultStatusLabelId = Statuslabel::first()?->id;
+
         if (!is_null(Statuslabel::deployable()->first())) {
-            $this->defaultStatusLabelId = Statuslabel::deployable()->first()->id;
+            $this->defaultStatusLabelId = Statuslabel::deployable()->first()?->id;
+        }
+
+        if (is_null($this->defaultStatusLabelId)) {
+            $defaultLabel = Statuslabel::create([
+                'name' => 'Default Status',
+                'deployable' => 0,
+                'pending' => 1,
+                'archived' => 0,
+                'notes' => 'Default status label created by AssetImporter',
+            ]);
+
+            $this->defaultStatusLabelId = $defaultLabel->id;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Importer/AssetImportTest.php b/tests/Unit/Importer/AssetImportTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..09e594c1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/Importer/AssetImportTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Tests\Unit\Importer;
+
+use App\Importer\AssetImporter;
+use App\Models\Statuslabel;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+use function Livewire\invade;
+
+class AssetImportTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function test_uses_first_deployable_status_label_as_default_if_one_exists()
+    {
+        Statuslabel::truncate();
+
+        $pendingStatusLabel = Statuslabel::factory()->pending()->create();
+        $readyToDeployStatusLabel = Statuslabel::factory()->readyToDeploy()->create();
+
+        $importer = new AssetImporter('assets.csv');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            $readyToDeployStatusLabel->id,
+            invade($importer)->defaultStatusLabelId
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function test_uses_first_status_label_as_default_if_deployable_status_label_does_not_exist()
+    {
+        Statuslabel::truncate();
+
+        $statusLabel = Statuslabel::factory()->pending()->create();
+
+        $importer = new AssetImporter('assets.csv');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            $statusLabel->id,
+            invade($importer)->defaultStatusLabelId
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function test_creates_default_status_label_if_one_does_not_exist()
+    {
+        Statuslabel::truncate();
+
+        $this->assertEquals(0, Statuslabel::count());
+
+        $importer = new AssetImporter('assets.csv');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(1, Statuslabel::count());
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            Statuslabel::first()->id,
+            invade($importer)->defaultStatusLabelId
+        );
+    }
+}