diff --git a/.classpath b/.classpath
index c324bc4..ebf73fc 100644
--- a/.classpath
+++ b/.classpath
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <classpath>
-	<classpathentry kind="src" output="target/join-vre-3.6.1-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/java">
+	<classpathentry kind="src" output="target/join-vre-3.7.1-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/java">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="optional" value="true"/>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/join-vre-3.6.1-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/resources">
+	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/join-vre-3.7.1-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/resources">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="optional" value="true"/>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
+			<attribute name="test" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/test-classes" path="src/test/resources">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
+			<attribute name="test" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry kind="con" path="com.google.gwt.eclipse.core.GWT_CONTAINER"/>
@@ -39,5 +41,5 @@
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/join-vre-3.6.1-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/join-vre-3.7.1-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
 </classpath>
diff --git a/.project b/.project
index f69a01a..2b93c1f 100644
--- a/.project
+++ b/.project
@@ -45,6 +45,16 @@
 			<arguments>
 			</arguments>
 		</buildCommand>
+		<buildCommand>
+			<name>com.gwtplugins.gdt.eclipse.core.webAppProjectValidator</name>
+			<arguments>
+			</arguments>
+		</buildCommand>
+		<buildCommand>
+			<name>com.gwtplugins.gwt.eclipse.core.gwtProjectValidator</name>
+			<arguments>
+			</arguments>
+		</buildCommand>
 	</buildSpec>
 	<natures>
 		<nature>org.eclipse.m2e.core.maven2Nature</nature>
@@ -56,5 +66,6 @@
 		<nature>org.eclipse.wst.jsdt.core.jsNature</nature>
 		<nature>com.google.gwt.eclipse.core.gwtNature</nature>
 		<nature>com.liferay.ide.core.liferayNature</nature>
+		<nature>com.gwtplugins.gwt.eclipse.core.gwtNature</nature>
 	</natures>
 </projectDescription>
diff --git a/.settings/com.gwtplugins.gdt.eclipse.core.prefs b/.settings/com.gwtplugins.gdt.eclipse.core.prefs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b8bfe8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.settings/com.gwtplugins.gdt.eclipse.core.prefs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+eclipse.preferences.version=1
+lastWarOutDir=/Users/massi/workspace/join-vre/target/join-vre-3.7.1-SNAPSHOT
+warSrcDir=src/main/webapp
+warSrcDirIsOutput=false
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
index 6e80039..4e4a3ad 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.forbiddenReference=warning
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.release=disabled
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.8
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
index 08e4241..bfe8616 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><project-modules id="moduleCoreId" project-version="1.5.0">
-  <wb-module deploy-name="join-vre-portlet">
+  <wb-module deploy-name="join-vre">
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/target/m2e-wtp/web-resources"/>
     <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/src/main/webapp" tag="defaultRootSource"/>
     <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/java"/>
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
index 15eea05..6bcfc01 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.project.facet.core.xml
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@
   <installed facet="liferay.portlet" version="6.0"/>
   <installed facet="jst.web" version="3.0"/>
   <installed facet="java" version="1.8"/>
+  <installed facet="com.gwtplugins.gwt.facet" version="1.0"/>
 </faceted-project>
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b2483bf..775afbf 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [v3.7.1] - 2020-10-16
+
+Enhacements
+
+No need to retrieve the user membership request status if the VRE Access policy is Open
+
 ## [v3.7.0] [r4.23.0] - 2020-06-03
 
 Fixes
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ffd67ac..72d06cb 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 	<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.user</groupId>
 	<artifactId>join-vre</artifactId>
 	<packaging>war</packaging>
-	<version>3.7.0</version>
+	<version>3.7.1</version>
 	<name>gCube Join VRE Portlet</name>
 	<description>Display the available VRE to Join</description>
 	<scm>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/joinvre/server/JoinServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/joinvre/server/JoinServiceImpl.java
index 9c3bb60..1aaeaf1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/joinvre/server/JoinServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/joinvre/server/JoinServiceImpl.java
@@ -527,16 +527,19 @@ public class JoinServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements JoinService
 			String infraScope = gm.getInfrastructureScope(selectedVRE.getGroupId());
 			String friendlyURL =  GCubePortalConstants.PREFIX_GROUP_URL+selectedVRE.getFriendlyURL();
 
-
+			VreMembershipType mType = getVREMembershipType(selectedVRE.getMembershipType());
+	
+			
 			GCubeUser currUser = PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentUser(getThreadLocalRequest());
+			
 			//check if the user belongs to it
 			UserBelonging belongEnum = UserBelonging.NOT_BELONGING;
 			if (gm.listGroupsByUser(currUser.getUserId()).contains(selectedVRE)) 
 				belongEnum = UserBelonging.BELONGING;
-			else if (checkPending(currUser.getUserId(), selectedVRE.getGroupId()))
+			else if (checkPending(currUser.getUserId(), selectedVRE.getGroupId()) && mType == VreMembershipType.RESTRICTED)
 				belongEnum = UserBelonging.PENDING;
 			//return the selected VRE for this user
-			toReturn = new VRE(groupId, vreName, vreDescription, vreLogoURL, infraScope, friendlyURL, belongEnum, getVREMembershipType(selectedVRE.getMembershipType()));
+			toReturn = new VRE(groupId, vreName, vreDescription, vreLogoURL, infraScope, friendlyURL, belongEnum, mType);
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			_log.error("Something wrong happened while trying to getSite by id, probably the group id is wrong. " + e.getMessage());
 		}