diff --git a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/query/UserQuery.java b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/query/UserQuery.java
index d7bdccb1f..8e19e4d01 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/query/UserQuery.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/query/UserQuery.java
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ public class UserQuery extends QueryBase<UserEntity> {
             QueryContext<UserRoleEntity, UUID> subQuery = this.applySubQuery(this.userRoleQuery, queryContext, UUID.class, userRoleEntityRoot -> userRoleEntityRoot.get(UserRoleEntity._userId));
             predicates.add(queryContext.CriteriaBuilder.in(queryContext.Root.get(UserEntity._id)).value(subQuery.Query));
         }
-        if (this.dmpAssociated){ 
+        if (this.dmpAssociated != null){
             UUID userId;
             if (this.userScope.isSet()) userId = this.userScope.getUserIdSafe();
             else throw new MyNotFoundException("Only user scoped allowed");