diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/oidc/rest/OpenIdConnectRESTHelper.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/oidc/rest/OpenIdConnectRESTHelper.java
index 574bd23..484fdf3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/oidc/rest/OpenIdConnectRESTHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/oidc/rest/OpenIdConnectRESTHelper.java
@@ -206,26 +206,34 @@ public class OpenIdConnectRESTHelper {
         return false;
     }
 
-    public static byte[] getUserAvatar(URL avatarURL, JWTToken token) throws Exception {
-        HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) avatarURL.openConnection();
-        conn.setRequestMethod("GET");
-        conn.setDoOutput(false);
-        conn.setDoInput(true);
-        conn.setRequestProperty("Accept", "image/png, image/jpeg, image/gif");
-        if (token != null) {
-            String authorization = token.getAccessTokenAsBearer();
-            logger.debug("Adding authorization header as: {}", authorization);
-            conn.setRequestProperty("Authorization", authorization);
-        }
-        InputStream is = conn.getInputStream();
-        ByteArrayOutputStream buffer = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-        int nRead;
-        byte[] data = new byte[1024];
-        while ((nRead = is.read(data, 0, data.length)) != -1) {
-            buffer.write(data, 0, nRead);
-        }
+    public static byte[] getUserAvatar(URL avatarURL, JWTToken token) {
+        logger.debug("Getting user avatar from URL: {}", avatarURL);
+        ByteArrayOutputStream buffer;
+        try {
+            HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) avatarURL.openConnection();
+            conn.setRequestMethod("GET");
+            conn.setDoOutput(false);
+            conn.setDoInput(true);
+            conn.setRequestProperty("Accept", "image/png, image/jpeg, image/gif");
+            if (token != null) {
+                String authorization = token.getAccessTokenAsBearer();
+                logger.debug("Adding authorization header as: {}", authorization);
+                conn.setRequestProperty("Authorization", authorization);
+            }
+            logger.debug("Getting the resource opening the stream");
+            InputStream is = conn.getInputStream();
+            buffer = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+            int nRead;
+            byte[] data = new byte[1024];
+            while ((nRead = is.read(data, 0, data.length)) != -1) {
+                buffer.write(data, 0, nRead);
+            }
 
-        buffer.flush();
-        return buffer.toByteArray();
+            buffer.flush();
+            return buffer.toByteArray();
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            logger.debug("Can't download avatar", e);
+        }
+        return null;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file