diff --git a/tests/testProjectConversion/double_bilayer_volume_model.mat b/tests/testProjectConversion/doubleBilayerVolumeModel.mat
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/testProjectConversion/double_bilayer_volume_model.mat
rename to tests/testProjectConversion/doubleBilayerVolumeModel.mat
diff --git a/tests/testProjectConversion/nonUniqueContrast.mat b/tests/testProjectConversion/nonUniqueContrast.mat
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..413751343
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/testProjectConversion/nonUniqueContrast.mat differ
diff --git a/tests/testR1ToProjectClass.m b/tests/testR1ToProjectClass.m
index e42137e54..985edeead 100644
--- a/tests/testR1ToProjectClass.m
+++ b/tests/testR1ToProjectClass.m
@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@ function testCompareR1AndProjectClass(testCase)
             result = r1ToProjectClass(testCase.input);
             testCase.verifyEqual(result, expected);
         end
+        
+        function testR1WithNonUniqueContrast(testCase)
+            r1Problem = load('nonUniqueContrast.mat').problem;
+            testCase.verifyEqual(char(r1Problem.contrastNames{1}), 'D2O');
+            testCase.verifyEqual(char(r1Problem.contrastNames{2}), 'D2O');
+            problem = r1ToProjectClass('nonUniqueContrast.mat');
+            testCase.verifyEqual(problem.contrasts.contrasts{1}.name, 'Contrast 1');
+            testCase.verifyEqual(problem.contrasts.contrasts{2}.name, 'Contrast 2');
+        end
+
 
         function testR1ConversionWithModification(testCase)
             problem = load(testCase.input).problem;
@@ -82,7 +92,7 @@ function testEmptyStrs(testCase)
         end
 
         function testBadConstrs(testCase)
-            project = testCase.verifyWarning(@() r1ToProjectClass('double_bilayer_volume_model.mat'), "");
+            project = testCase.verifyWarning(@() r1ToProjectClass('doubleBilayerVolumeModel.mat'), "");
             % this example project has background min bigger than
             % background value
             testCase.verifyEqual(project.background.backgroundParams.varTable{1,2}, ...
@@ -90,7 +100,3 @@ function testBadConstrs(testCase)
         end
         end
 end
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/utilities/misc/r1ToProjectClass.m b/utilities/misc/r1ToProjectClass.m
index dff92fa46..3d11e7f62 100644
--- a/utilities/misc/r1ToProjectClass.m
+++ b/utilities/misc/r1ToProjectClass.m
@@ -189,10 +189,17 @@
         'dataRange', problem.dataLimits{i} , ...
         'simRange', problem.simLimits{i});
 end
+contrastNames = cellfun(@char, problem.contrastNames, UniformOutput=false);
+notUnique = length(unique(contrastNames)) ~= length(contrastNames);
 
 % Create contrasts
 for i = 1:problem.numberOfContrasts
-    thisName = char(problem.contrastNames{i});
+    if notUnique
+        % replace contrast names if non-unique.
+        thisName = sprintf('Contrast %d', i);
+    else
+        thisName = char(problem.contrastNames{i});
+    end
     thisBackgroundNumber = problem.contrastBacks(i);
     thisBackground = char(project.background.backgrounds.varTable{thisBackgroundNumber,1});