diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java
index 4fdb152..34b5c30 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import java.sql.Timestamp;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
 
 import org.gcube.common.portal.PortalContext;
 import org.gcube.portal.mailing.message.Recipient;
@@ -32,8 +33,11 @@ import com.liferay.portal.kernel.exception.SystemException;
 import com.liferay.portal.kernel.util.GetterUtil;
 import com.liferay.portal.kernel.util.PropsUtil;
 import com.liferay.portal.model.Company;
+import com.liferay.portal.model.User;
 import com.liferay.portal.service.CompanyLocalServiceUtil;
+import com.liferay.portal.service.ServiceContext;
 import com.liferay.portal.service.UserLocalServiceUtil;
+import com.liferay.portal.util.PortalUtil;
 
 /**
  * The server side implementation of the RPC service.
@@ -231,26 +235,10 @@ public class CreateUsersImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements HandleUsers
 						logger.debug("User added in " + REGISTERED_USERS_TABLE);
 						// add in liferay too
 						try{
-							GCubeUser user = userManager.createUser(
-									true,
-									"", 
-									email, 
-									name, 
-									"", 
-									surname, 
-									institution, 
-									"", 
-									"",
-									isMale, 
-									"What was your initial password?", 
-									"training1",
-									false, // determine if we need to send him/her an email
-									true); 	// force the password reset
-
+							User user = register(name, surname, email, institution, sendEmail);
 							// adding to the current VRE
-							long userId = userManager.getUserId(user.getUsername());
+							long userId = userManager.getUserId(user.getScreenName());
 							userManager.assignUserToGroup(getCurrentGroupID(), userId);
-							UserLocalServiceUtil.updateEmailAddressVerified(userId, true);
 							if (sendEmail)
 								sendEmailToUser(email);
 
@@ -284,6 +272,75 @@ public class CreateUsersImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements HandleUsers
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	
+	private User register(String firstName, String lastName, String email, String institution, boolean sendEmail) {
+		User toReturn = null;
+		try{
+			logger.debug("Trying createuser and instatiate serviceContext" + email);
+			Long defaultCompanyId = PortalUtil.getDefaultCompanyId();
+			Long defaultUserId = UserLocalServiceUtil.getDefaultUserId(defaultCompanyId);
+			PortalContext pContext = PortalContext.getConfiguration();
+			//ServiceContext instanciated as follows is needed when the Email verification is sent
+			ServiceContext serviceContext = new ServiceContext();
+			serviceContext.setScopeGroupId(pContext.getCurrentGroupId(getThreadLocalRequest()));
+			serviceContext.setPortalURL(pContext.getGatewayURL(getThreadLocalRequest()));
+			serviceContext.setPathMain("/c");
+			
+			boolean  autoPassword = false;
+			Locale locale = new Locale("en_US");
+			int prefixId = 0;
+			int suffixId = 0;
+			int birthdayMonth = 1;
+			int birthdayDay = 1;
+			int birthdayYear = 1970;
+			String password1 = "training1";
+			String password2 = password1;
+			toReturn = UserLocalServiceUtil.addUser(
+					defaultUserId, 
+					defaultCompanyId, 
+					autoPassword, 
+					password1, 
+					password2, 
+					true, 
+					"", 
+					email, 
+					0L, 
+					"", 
+					locale, 
+					firstName, 
+					"", 
+					lastName, 
+					prefixId, 
+					suffixId, 
+					true, 
+					birthdayMonth,
+					birthdayDay, 
+					birthdayYear, 
+					institution, 
+					null,
+					null, 
+					null, 
+					null, 
+					false,
+					serviceContext);
+			logger.debug("CreateUser " + lastName + " SUCCESS");
+			UserLocalServiceUtil.updateEmailAddressVerified(toReturn.getUserId(), true);
+			UserLocalServiceUtil.updateAgreedToTermsOfUse(toReturn.getUserId(), false);
+			UserLocalServiceUtil.updatePasswordReset(toReturn.getUserId(), true);
+			UserLocalServiceUtil.updateReminderQuery(toReturn.getUserId(), "What was your initial password?", "training1");
+			logger.debug("User " + lastName + " has agreed to ToU");
+			logger.debug("User " + lastName + " has verified the Email");
+			logger.debug("User " + lastName + " updatePasswordReset & updateReminderQuery");
+
+
+		}
+		catch(Exception e){
+			// unable to create.. we need to delete it from the list of users
+			logger.error("Unable to create the user " + email + " in liferay.", e);
+
+		}
+		return toReturn;
+	}
 
 	@Override
 	public List<VreUserBean> getAlreadyRegisterdUsers() {