diff --git a/cmd/ova-provider-server/ova-provider-server.go b/cmd/ova-provider-server/ova-provider-server.go
index 3118b9e13..318db9248 100644
--- a/cmd/ova-provider-server/ova-provider-server.go
+++ b/cmd/ova-provider-server/ova-provider-server.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"unicode"
 
 	"github.com/konveyor/forklift-controller/pkg/lib/gob"
 
@@ -466,11 +467,28 @@ func convertToVmStruct(envelope []Envelope, ovaPath []string) ([]VM, error) {
 					newVM.MemoryUnits = item.AllocationUnits
 
 				} else {
-					if len(item.ElementName) > 2 {
-						newVM.Devices = append(newVM.Devices, Device{
-							Kind: item.ElementName[:len(item.ElementName)-2],
-						})
+					var itemKind string
+					if len(item.ElementName) == 0 {
+						if len(item.Description) > 0 {
+							itemKind = item.Description
+						} else {
+							itemKind = "Unknown"
+						}
+					} else {
+						// if the `ElementName` element has a name such as "Hard Disk 1", strip off the
+						// number suffix
+						runes := []rune(item.ElementName)
+						if len(runes) > 2 &&
+							unicode.IsSpace(runes[len(runes)-2]) &&
+							unicode.IsDigit(runes[len(runes)-1]) {
+							itemKind = item.ElementName[:len(item.ElementName)-2]
+						} else {
+							itemKind = item.ElementName
+						}
 					}
+					newVM.Devices = append(newVM.Devices, Device{
+						Kind: itemKind,
+					})
 				}
 
 			}