diff --git a/dhp-workflows/dhp-enrichment/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/PropagationConstant.java b/dhp-workflows/dhp-enrichment/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/PropagationConstant.java
index 02fdcb09b..36361a09e 100644
--- a/dhp-workflows/dhp-enrichment/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/PropagationConstant.java
+++ b/dhp-workflows/dhp-enrichment/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/dhp/PropagationConstant.java
@@ -228,10 +228,15 @@ public class PropagationConstant {
 
 	public static <R> Dataset<R> readPath(
 		SparkSession spark, String inputPath, Class<R> clazz) {
-		return spark
-			.read()
-			.textFile(inputPath)
-			.map((MapFunction<String, R>) value -> OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(value, clazz), Encoders.bean(clazz));
+
+		if (HdfsSupport.exists(inputPath, spark.sparkContext().hadoopConfiguration())) {
+			return spark
+					.read()
+					.textFile(inputPath)
+					.map((MapFunction<String, R>) value -> OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(value, clazz), Encoders.bean(clazz));
+		} else {
+			return spark.emptyDataset(Encoders.bean(clazz));
+		}
 	}
 
 }