diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 35795dd2..2681db84 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # handwriter (development version)
 
+## Minor improvements and fixes
+
+* Fixed a bug in `get_clusters_batch()` so it no longer returns the error message, "Unable to get cluster assignments for one or more documents," if the file all_clusters.rds exists in the output directory.
+
 # handwriter 3.2.0
 
 ## New features
diff --git a/R/cluster_assignment.R b/R/cluster_assignment.R
index b93ed3bb..2453da4b 100644
--- a/R/cluster_assignment.R
+++ b/R/cluster_assignment.R
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ get_clusters_batch <- function(template, input_dir, output_dir, writer_indices,
   # allow a warning to be given if a document without graphs is encountered and
   # this message could be removed.
   outfiles <- list.files(output_dir, pattern = ".rds", full.names = TRUE)
-  outfiles <- outfiles[which(outfiles != "all_clusters.rds")]
+  outfiles <- outfiles[which(basename(outfiles) != "all_clusters.rds")]
   if (length(outfiles) != nrow(proclist)){
     warning('Unable to get cluster assignments for one or more documents.')
   }