diff --git a/geoportal-service/src/main/java/org/gcube/application/geoportal/service/engine/mongo/ProfiledMongoManager.java b/geoportal-service/src/main/java/org/gcube/application/geoportal/service/engine/mongo/ProfiledMongoManager.java
index 3070256..1bd8a05 100644
--- a/geoportal-service/src/main/java/org/gcube/application/geoportal/service/engine/mongo/ProfiledMongoManager.java
+++ b/geoportal-service/src/main/java/org/gcube/application/geoportal/service/engine/mongo/ProfiledMongoManager.java
@@ -184,28 +184,35 @@ public class ProfiledMongoManager extends MongoManager implements MongoManagerI<
 	protected Project unlockAndPatch(Project proj) throws InvalidLockException, ProjectNotFoundException,
 			JsonProcessingException, InvalidUserRoleException, UnauthorizedAccess {
 		log.info("Unlocking for patching {} lock is {} ", proj.getId(), proj.getLock());
+		
 		// find one and update
 		Lock oldLock = proj.getLock();
-		proj.setLock(null);
-
 		Document filter = new Document(mongoIDFieldName(), asId(proj.getId())).append(Project.LOCK + "." + Lock.ID,
 				oldLock.getId());
 		
+		Document setUpdatedDocument = new Document("$set", new Document(Project.THE_DOCUMENT, proj.getTheDocument()));
+		
 		log.info("Filter document is {} ", filter.toJson());
+		log.info("$set is {} ", setUpdatedDocument);
 
 		Object obj = getCollection().findOneAndUpdate(
 				// filter by id and missing lock
 				filter,
 				// update lock info
-				asDocumentWithId(proj), new FindOneAndUpdateOptions().returnDocument(ReturnDocument.AFTER));
+				setUpdatedDocument, 
+				new FindOneAndUpdateOptions().returnDocument(ReturnDocument.AFTER));
 
 		if (obj == null) {
 			// can-t unlock, check cause
-			Project p = getByID(proj.getId());
 			throw new InvalidLockException(
-					"Found lock for " + p.getId() + " is " + p.getLock() + ", expected is " + oldLock);
+					"Found lock for " + proj.getId() + " is " + proj.getLock() + ", expected is " + oldLock);
 		}
-		return Serialization.convert(obj, Project.class);
+		
+		//I could use Serialization.convert(obj, Project.class), but to be sure I'm reading again the project by
+		proj = getByID(proj.getId());
+		
+		proj = unlock(proj);
+		return proj;
 	}
 
 	protected Project unlock(Project proj)