diff --git a/panoptes_client/subject_set.py b/panoptes_client/subject_set.py
index 8e46d88..d4426c2 100644
--- a/panoptes_client/subject_set.py
+++ b/panoptes_client/subject_set.py
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ def __init__(self, raw={}, etag=None):
             self._original_metadata = {}
 
     def set_raw(self, raw, etag=None, loaded=True):
+        raw.setdefault('links', {}).setdefault('subjects', [])
         super(SubjectSet, self).set_raw(raw, etag, loaded)
         if loaded and self.metadata:
             self._original_metadata = deepcopy(self.metadata)
@@ -102,10 +103,6 @@ def subjects(self):
         for sms in SetMemberSubject.where(subject_set_id=self.id):
             yield sms.links.subject
 
-    def set_raw(self, raw, etag=None, loaded=True):
-        raw.setdefault('links', {}).setdefault('subjects', [])
-        return super(SubjectSet, self).set_raw(raw, etag, loaded)
-
     def add(self, subjects):
         """
         A wrapper around :py:meth:`.LinkCollection.add`. Equivalent to::