diff --git a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java
index 98ce37926..654fd1f69 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/components/commons/datafield/AutoCompleteData.java
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ public class AutoCompleteData extends ComboBoxData<AutoCompleteData> {
                 this.autoCompleteSingleDataList.get(i).autoCompleteOptions = new Option();
                 this.autoCompleteSingleDataList.get(i).url = (String) singleData.get("url");
                 this.autoCompleteSingleDataList.get(i).optionsRoot = (String) singleData.get("optionsRoot");
-                this.autoCompleteSingleDataList.get(i).hasAuth = (Boolean) singleData.get("hasAuth");
+                this.autoCompleteSingleDataList.get(i).hasAuth = (singleData.get("hasAuth") != null && !singleData.get("hasAuth").toString().isEmpty()) ? (Boolean) singleData.get("hasAuth") : false;
                 this.autoCompleteSingleDataList.get(i).method = singleData.containsKey("method") ? (String) singleData.get("method") : "GET";
 
                 if (singleData.get("autoCompleteType") == null) {