diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java
index f897d67..96892ab 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
+import javax.portlet.PortletSession;
+import javax.portlet.RenderRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 
 import org.gcube.common.authorization.client.exceptions.ObjectNotFound;
@@ -59,7 +61,6 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	protected static final String SCOPE_SEPARATOR = "/";
 
 	private final static String DEFAULT_ROLE = "OrganizationMember";
-
 	private static final String CONFIGURATION_FOLDER = "conf";
 	private static final String INFRA_PROPERTY_FILENAME = "infrastructure.properties";
 	private static final String GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME = "gcube-dev-context.properties";
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 		catch(IOException e) {
 			infra = DEFAULT_INFRA_NAME;
 			vos = DEFAULT_VO_NAME;
+			userManager = new LiferayUserManager();
 			_log.error("infrastructure.properties file not found under $CATALINA_HOME/conf/ dir, setting default infrastructure Name " + infra + " and VO Name " + vos);
 		}		
 
@@ -152,21 +154,29 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	 */
 	public GCubeUser getCurrentUser(HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {
 		String userIdNo = httpServletRequest.getHeader(USER_ID_ATTR_NAME);
+		long userId = -1;
 		if (userIdNo != null) {
-			long userId = -1;
 			try {
+				_log.debug("The userIdNo is " + userIdNo);
 				userId = Long.parseLong(userIdNo);
 				return userManager.getUserById(userId);
 			} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
 				_log.error("The userId is not a number -> " + userId);
 			} catch (Exception e) {
-				_log.error("Could not read the current userid, either session expired or user not logged in, exception: " + e.getMessage());
+				_log.error("Could not read the current userid from header param, either session expired or user not logged in, exception: " + e.getMessage());
 			}
 		} else {
 			if (!isWithinPortal()) {
 				GCubeUser toReturn = readUserFromPropertyFile();
 				_log.debug("getCurrentUser devMode into IDE detected, returning testing user: " + toReturn.toString());
 				return toReturn;
+			} else { //must be a custom servlet
+				try {
+					userId = (long) httpServletRequest.getSession().getAttribute(USER_ID_ATTR_NAME);
+					return userManager.getUserById(userId);
+				} catch (Exception e) {
+					_log.error("Could not read the current userid from the http session, either session expired or user not logged in, exception: " + e.getMessage());
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		return null;
@@ -198,6 +208,18 @@ public class PortalContext {
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
+	/**
+	 * <p>
+	 * This method sets the current userid in the session so that it is possible to get the current user in custom servlets of the same WAR. 
+	 * Must be added in Portlet's doView() method before dispatching the request.
+	 * </p>
+	 * 
+	 * @param request the portlet {@link RenderRequest} object
+	 */
+	public static void setUserInSession(RenderRequest request) {
+		long userid = Long.parseLong(request.getRemoteUser());
+		request.getPortletSession().setAttribute(USER_ID_ATTR_NAME, userid, PortletSession.APPLICATION_SCOPE);
+	}
 	/**
 	 * @param scopeGroupId the liferay groupid number (as String) of the VRE/VO
 	 * @return the scope (context)