diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java
index d018fdb..c57e413 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/common/portal/PortalContext.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import static org.gcube.common.authorization.client.Constants.authorizationServi
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
@@ -18,7 +17,6 @@ import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.impl.LiferayGroupManager;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.impl.LiferayUserManager;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.CustomAttributeKeys;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.Email;
-import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.GCubeGroup;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.GCubeUser;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -154,15 +152,14 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	}
 	/**
 	 * 
-	 * @param httpServletRequest the httpServletRequest object
+	 * @param scopeGroupId the liferay groupid number (as String) of the VRE/VO
 	 * @return the scope (context)
 	 */
-	public String getCurrentScope(HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {
-		String groupIdNo = httpServletRequest.getHeader(VRE_ID_ATTR_NAME);
-		if (groupIdNo != null) {
+	public String getCurrentScope(String scopeGroupId) {
+		if (scopeGroupId != null) {
 			long groupId = -1;
 			try {
-				groupId = Long.parseLong(groupIdNo);
+				groupId = Long.parseLong(scopeGroupId);
 				LiferayGroupManager gm = new LiferayGroupManager();
 				if (gm.isRootVO(groupId)) {
 					return SCOPE_SEPARATOR + getInfrastructureName();
@@ -183,6 +180,15 @@ public class PortalContext {
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
+	/**
+	 * 
+	 * @param httpServletRequest the httpServletRequest object
+	 * @return the scope (context)
+	 */
+	public String getCurrentScope(HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {
+		String scopeGroupId = httpServletRequest.getHeader(VRE_ID_ATTR_NAME);
+		return getCurrentScope(scopeGroupId);
+	} 
 	/**
 	 * 
 	 * @param httpServletRequest the httpServletRequest object
@@ -591,7 +597,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	private static GCubeUser readUserFromPropertyFile() {
 		Properties props = new Properties();
 		try {
-			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getCatalinaHome());
+			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getGCubeDevHome());
 			sb.append(File.separator)
 			.append(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME);
 			String propertyfile = sb.toString();
@@ -614,7 +620,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 			return new GCubeUser(userId, username, email, firstName, middleName, lastName, fullname, registrationDate, userAvatarId, male, jobTitle, emailAddresses);
 		}
 		catch(IOException e) {
-			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $CATALINA_HOME dir");
+			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $GCUBE_DEV_HOME dir");
 			return null;
 		}		
 	}
@@ -624,7 +630,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	private static String readTokenPropertyFile() {
 		Properties props = new Properties();
 		try {
-			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getCatalinaHome());
+			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getGCubeDevHome());
 			sb.append(File.separator)
 			.append(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME);
 			String propertyfile = sb.toString();
@@ -640,7 +646,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 			}			
 		}
 		catch(IOException e) {
-			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $CATALINA_HOME dir");
+			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $GCUBE_DEV_HOME dir");
 			return null;
 		}		
 	}
@@ -651,7 +657,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	private static String readContextPropertyFile() {
 		Properties props = new Properties();
 		try {
-			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getCatalinaHome());
+			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getGCubeDevHome());
 			sb.append(File.separator)
 			.append(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME);
 			String propertyfile = sb.toString();
@@ -667,7 +673,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 			}			
 		}
 		catch(IOException e) {
-			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $CATALINA_HOME dir");
+			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $GCUBE_DEV_HOME dir");
 			return null;
 		}		
 	}
@@ -677,7 +683,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	private static String readGroupNamePropertyFile() {
 		Properties props = new Properties();
 		try {
-			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getCatalinaHome());
+			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getGCubeDevHome());
 			sb.append(File.separator)
 			.append(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME);
 			String propertyfile = sb.toString();
@@ -693,7 +699,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 			}			
 		}
 		catch(IOException e) {
-			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $CATALINA_HOME dir");
+			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $GCUBE_DEV_HOME dir");
 			return null;
 		}		
 	}
@@ -704,7 +710,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	private static long readGroupIdPropertyFile() {
 		Properties props = new Properties();
 		try {
-			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getCatalinaHome());
+			StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getGCubeDevHome());
 			sb.append(File.separator)
 			.append(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME);
 			String propertyfile = sb.toString();
@@ -727,7 +733,7 @@ public class PortalContext {
 			}			
 		}
 		catch(IOException e) {
-			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $CATALINA_HOME dir");
+			_log.error(GCUBE_DEV__CONTEXT_PROPERTY_FILENAME + " file not found under $GCUBE_DEV_HOME dir");
 			return -1L;
 		}		
 		return -1L;
@@ -741,6 +747,14 @@ public class PortalContext {
 	private static String getCatalinaHome() {
 		return (System.getenv("CATALINA_HOME").endsWith("/") ? System.getenv("CATALINA_HOME") : System.getenv("CATALINA_HOME")+"/");
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * 
+	 * @return $GCUBE-DEV-HOME
+	 */
+	private static String getGCubeDevHome() {
+		return (System.getenv("GCUBE_DEV_HOME").endsWith("/") ? System.getenv("GCUBE_DEV_HOME") : System.getenv("GCUBE_DEV_HOME")+"/");
+	}