diff --git a/src/engraving/dom/spanner.cpp b/src/engraving/dom/spanner.cpp
index e0d2fc11283c5..afe2176688aef 100644
--- a/src/engraving/dom/spanner.cpp
+++ b/src/engraving/dom/spanner.cpp
@@ -723,18 +723,7 @@ PropertyValue Spanner::propertyDefault(Pid propertyId) const
 
 void Spanner::computeStartElement()
 {
-    EngravingItem* oldStartElement = m_startElement;
-
     doComputeStartElement();
-
-    if (oldStartElement && oldStartElement->isChord()) {
-        toChord(oldStartElement)->removeStartingSpanner(this);
-    }
-
-    Chord* startChord = m_startElement && m_startElement->isChord() ? toChord(m_startElement) : nullptr;
-    if (startChord) {
-        startChord->addStartingSpanner(this);
-    }
 }
 
 void Spanner::doComputeStartElement()
@@ -746,24 +735,24 @@ void Spanner::doComputeStartElement()
             return;
         }
         if (systemFlag()) {
-            m_startElement = startSegment();
+            setStartElement(startSegment());
         } else {
             EngravingItem* startEl = startSeg->element(track());
             if (startEl) {
-                m_startElement = startEl;
+                setStartElement(startEl);
             } else {
-                m_startElement = startSeg->firstElement(track2staff(track()));
+                setStartElement(startSeg->firstElement(track2staff(track())));
             }
         }
     }
     break;
 
     case Anchor::MEASURE:
-        m_startElement = score()->tick2measure(tick());
+        setStartElement(score()->tick2measure(tick()));
         break;
 
     case Anchor::CHORD:
-        m_startElement = startCR();
+        setStartElement(startCR());
         break;
     case Anchor::NOTE:
         break;
@@ -777,22 +766,11 @@ void Spanner::doComputeStartElement()
 void Spanner::computeEndElement()
 {
     if (score()->isPaletteScore()) {
-        m_endElement = nullptr;
+        setEndElement(nullptr);
         return;
     }
 
-    EngravingItem* oldEndElement = m_endElement;
-
     doComputeEndElement();
-
-    if (oldEndElement && oldEndElement->isChord()) {
-        toChord(oldEndElement)->removeEndingSpanner(this);
-    }
-
-    Chord* endChord = m_endElement && m_endElement->isChord() ? toChord(m_endElement) : nullptr;
-    if (endChord) {
-        endChord->addEndingSpanner(this);
-    }
 }
 
 void Spanner::doComputeEndElement()
@@ -804,27 +782,27 @@ void Spanner::doComputeEndElement()
             return;
         }
         if (systemFlag()) {
-            m_endElement = endSeg;
+            setEndElement(endSeg);
         } else {
             track_idx_t trackIdx = effectiveTrack2();
             EngravingItem* endEl = endSeg->element(trackIdx);
             if (endEl) {
-                m_endElement = endEl;
+                setEndElement(endEl);
             } else {
-                m_endElement = endSeg->firstElement(track2staff(trackIdx));
+                setEndElement(endSeg->firstElement(track2staff(trackIdx)));
             }
         }
     }
     break;
 
     case Anchor::MEASURE:
-        m_endElement = score()->tick2measure(tick2() - Fraction(1, 1920));
+        setEndElement(score()->tick2measure(tick2() - Fraction(1, 1920)));
         break;
 
     case Anchor::NOTE:
         break;
     case Anchor::CHORD:
-        m_endElement = endCR();
+        setEndElement(endCR());
         break;
     }
 }
@@ -957,7 +935,7 @@ Chord* Spanner::startChord()
         return nullptr;
     }
     if (!m_startElement) {
-        m_startElement = findStartChord();
+        setStartElement(findStartChord());
     }
 
     if (m_startElement && m_startElement->isChord()) {
@@ -977,7 +955,7 @@ Chord* Spanner::endChord()
         return nullptr;
     }
     if (!m_endElement && type() == ElementType::SLUR) {
-        m_endElement = findEndChord();
+        setEndElement(findEndChord());
     }
 
     if (m_endElement && m_endElement->isChord()) {
@@ -996,7 +974,7 @@ ChordRest* Spanner::startCR()
     assert(m_anchor == Anchor::SEGMENT || m_anchor == Anchor::CHORD);
     if (!m_startElement || m_startElement->score() != score()) {
         // TODO: This is a bit weird and prevents this method from being const...
-        m_startElement = findStartCR();
+        setStartElement(findStartCR());
     }
     return (m_startElement && m_startElement->isChordRest()) ? toChordRest(m_startElement) : nullptr;
 }
@@ -1010,7 +988,7 @@ ChordRest* Spanner::endCR()
     assert(m_anchor == Anchor::SEGMENT || m_anchor == Anchor::CHORD);
     if ((!m_endElement || m_endElement->score() != score())) {
         // TODO: This is a bit weird and prevents this method from being const...
-        m_endElement = findEndCR();
+        setEndElement(findEndCR());
     }
     return (m_endElement && m_endElement->isChordRest()) ? toChordRest(m_endElement) : nullptr;
 }
@@ -1260,7 +1238,18 @@ void Spanner::setStartElement(EngravingItem* e)
         assert(!e || e->isNote());
     }
 #endif
+    EngravingItem* oldStartElement = m_startElement;
+
     m_startElement = e;
+
+    if (oldStartElement && oldStartElement->isChord()) {
+        toChord(oldStartElement)->removeStartingSpanner(this);
+    }
+
+    Chord* startChord = m_startElement && m_startElement->isChord() ? toChord(m_startElement) : nullptr;
+    if (startChord) {
+        startChord->addStartingSpanner(this);
+    }
 }
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1274,7 +1263,18 @@ void Spanner::setEndElement(EngravingItem* e)
         assert(!e || e->isNote());
     }
 #endif
+    EngravingItem* oldEndElement = m_endElement;
+
     m_endElement = e;
+
+    if (oldEndElement && oldEndElement->isChord()) {
+        toChord(oldEndElement)->removeEndingSpanner(this);
+    }
+
+    Chord* endChord = m_endElement && m_endElement->isChord() ? toChord(m_endElement) : nullptr;
+    if (endChord) {
+        endChord->addEndingSpanner(this);
+    }
 }
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/engraving/rw/read206/read206.cpp b/src/engraving/rw/read206/read206.cpp
index 7581e3ac9c431..a581857a00224 100644
--- a/src/engraving/rw/read206/read206.cpp
+++ b/src/engraving/rw/read206/read206.cpp
@@ -3653,6 +3653,18 @@ Ret Read206::readScoreFile(Score* score, XmlReader& e, ReadInOutData* out)
         }
     }
 
+    // Discard slurs that were started but never terminated
+    for (Spanner* sp : score->spannerList()) {
+        if (sp->isSlur() && sp->ticks() <= Fraction(0, 1) && sp->startElement() == sp->endElement()) {
+            LOGW() << "discarding slur (id " << ctx.spannerId(sp) << ") that has no end";
+            assert(sp->startElement() && sp->startElement()->isChord());
+
+            ctx.removeSpanner(sp);
+            score->removeSpanner(sp);
+            delete sp;
+        }
+    }
+
     for (Staff* s : score->staves()) {
         s->updateOttava();
     }
diff --git a/src/importexport/musicxml/internal/import/importmusicxmlpass2.cpp b/src/importexport/musicxml/internal/import/importmusicxmlpass2.cpp
index 6118e46636092..f020af3b2c772 100644
--- a/src/importexport/musicxml/internal/import/importmusicxmlpass2.cpp
+++ b/src/importexport/musicxml/internal/import/importmusicxmlpass2.cpp
@@ -8339,6 +8339,7 @@ static void addSlur(const Notation& notation, SlurStack& slurs, ChordRest* cr, N
             slurs[slurNo] = SlurDesc();
 
             if (newSlur->endElement() == cr && note) {
+                newSlur->setEndElement(nullptr);
                 delete newSlur;
 
                 // Slur starts & ends on same chord - add lv instead
@@ -8350,6 +8351,7 @@ static void addSlur(const Notation& notation, SlurStack& slurs, ChordRest* cr, N
             const Fraction tick2 = newSlur->endElement()->tick();
             if (tick2 < tick) {
                 logger->logError(String(u"slur end is before slur start"), xmlreader);
+                newSlur->setEndElement(nullptr);
                 delete newSlur;
                 return;
             }
@@ -8400,6 +8402,7 @@ static void addSlur(const Notation& notation, SlurStack& slurs, ChordRest* cr, N
             slurs[slurNo] = SlurDesc();
 
             if (newSlur->startElement() == cr && note) {
+                newSlur->setStartElement(nullptr);
                 delete newSlur;
 
                 // Slur starts & ends on same chord - add lv instead