diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/CKANPublisherServicesImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/CKANPublisherServicesImpl.java
index 59a3f60..4d1674c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/CKANPublisherServicesImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/CKANPublisherServicesImpl.java
@@ -615,10 +615,7 @@ public class CKANPublisherServicesImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements C
 
 	/**
 	 * The method tries to retrieve the scope related to the organization using the map first,
-	 * if no match is found, it retrieves such information by using liferay.
-	 *
-	 * @param orgName the org name
-	 * @return the scope from org name
+	 * if no match is found, it retrieves such information by using liferay
 	 */
 	private String getScopeFromOrgName(String orgName){
 
@@ -629,11 +626,16 @@ public class CKANPublisherServicesImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements C
 		String toReturn = null;
 
 		if(isWithinPortal()){
-			if(mapOrganizationScope.containsKey(orgName))
+			if(mapOrganizationScope.containsKey(orgName)) {
 				toReturn = mapOrganizationScope.get(orgName);
-			else{
+			}else{
 				try{
 					String evaluatedScope = GenericUtils.retrieveScopeFromOrganizationName(orgName);
+					//see #20801
+					if(evaluatedScope==null || evaluatedScope.isEmpty()) {
+						logger.warn("Scope detected for OrganizationName: "+orgName+" is null or empty, skipping filling 'mapOrganizationScope' and returning null");
+						return toReturn;
+					}
 					mapOrganizationScope.put(orgName, evaluatedScope);
 					toReturn = evaluatedScope;
 				}catch(Exception e){
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/utils/GenericUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/utils/GenericUtils.java
index 4f80440..9e8cb19 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/utils/GenericUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/ckandatapublisherwidget/server/utils/GenericUtils.java
@@ -52,13 +52,18 @@ public class GenericUtils {
 		GroupManager gm = new LiferayGroupManager();
 		List<GCubeGroup> groups = gm.listGroups();
 		for (GCubeGroup gCubeGroup : groups) {
-			if(gCubeGroup.getGroupName().equalsIgnoreCase(organizationName))
-				return gm.getInfrastructureScope(gCubeGroup.getGroupId());
+			if(gCubeGroup.getGroupName().equalsIgnoreCase(organizationName)) {
+				String theScope = gm.getInfrastructureScope(gCubeGroup.getGroupId());
+				logger.info("For organizationName: " + organizationName+" by using "+LiferayGroupManager.class.getSimpleName()+ " got the scope: "+theScope +", returning it");
+				return theScope;
+			}
 		}
-
+		
+		logger.info("No scope detected for organizationName: " + organizationName +" by using "+LiferayGroupManager.class.getSimpleName());
 		return null;
 	}
 
+
 	/**
 	 * First check to retrieve the token, else create it.
 	 *