diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/er/ERManagement.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/er/ERManagement.java
index 71e1400..d3f8cdd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/er/ERManagement.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/er/ERManagement.java
@@ -441,7 +441,8 @@ public abstract class ERManagement<ERType extends ER, El extends Element> {
 	}
 	
 	
-	public boolean exists() throws ERNotFoundException, ResourceRegistryException {
+	public boolean exists() throws ERNotFoundException, 
+			ERAvailableInAnotherContextException, ResourceRegistryException {
 		try {
 			orientGraph = ContextUtility.getActualSecurityContextGraph(PermissionMode.READER);
 
@@ -460,7 +461,7 @@ public abstract class ERManagement<ERType extends ER, El extends Element> {
 	}
 
 	public String read() throws ERNotFoundException,
-			ResourceRegistryException {
+			ERAvailableInAnotherContextException, ResourceRegistryException {
 		try {
 			orientGraph = ContextUtility
 					.getActualSecurityContextGraph(PermissionMode.READER);
@@ -480,7 +481,7 @@ public abstract class ERManagement<ERType extends ER, El extends Element> {
 	}
 
 	public String update() throws ERNotFoundException,
-			ResourceRegistryException {
+			ERAvailableInAnotherContextException, ResourceRegistryException {
 		try {
 
 			orientGraph = ContextUtility
@@ -510,7 +511,7 @@ public abstract class ERManagement<ERType extends ER, El extends Element> {
 	}
 
 	public boolean delete() throws ERNotFoundException,
-			ResourceRegistryException {
+			ERAvailableInAnotherContextException, ResourceRegistryException {
 		logger.debug("Going to delete {} with UUID {}", accessType.getName(), uuid);
 
 		try {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/rest/Access.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/rest/Access.java
index d9faec3..ba4e732 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/rest/Access.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/informationsystem/resourceregistry/rest/Access.java
@@ -9,9 +9,12 @@ import javax.ws.rs.Path;
 import javax.ws.rs.PathParam;
 import javax.ws.rs.Produces;
 import javax.ws.rs.QueryParam;
+import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
+import javax.ws.rs.core.Response.Status;
 
 import org.gcube.informationsystem.resourceregistry.ResourceInitializer;
 import org.gcube.informationsystem.resourceregistry.api.exceptions.ResourceRegistryException;
+import org.gcube.informationsystem.resourceregistry.api.exceptions.er.ERAvailableInAnotherContextException;
 import org.gcube.informationsystem.resourceregistry.api.exceptions.er.ERNotFoundException;
 import org.gcube.informationsystem.resourceregistry.api.exceptions.query.InvalidQueryException;
 import org.gcube.informationsystem.resourceregistry.api.exceptions.schema.SchemaNotFoundException;
@@ -79,8 +82,9 @@ public class Access {
 	@HEAD
 	@Path(AccessPath.INSTANCE_PATH_PART + "/" + "{" + TYPE_PATH_PARAM + "}"
 			+ "/{" + ID_PATH_PARAM + "}")
-	public void exists(@PathParam(TYPE_PATH_PARAM) String type,
-			@PathParam(ID_PATH_PARAM) String id) throws ERNotFoundException, ResourceRegistryException {
+	public Response exists(@PathParam(TYPE_PATH_PARAM) String type,
+			@PathParam(ID_PATH_PARAM) String id) throws ERNotFoundException, 
+			ERAvailableInAnotherContextException, ResourceRegistryException {
 		logger.info("Requested to check if {} with id {} exists", type, id);
 		@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
 		ERManagement erManagement = ERManagement.getERManagement(type);
@@ -91,7 +95,22 @@ public class Access {
 			throw new ResourceRegistryException(e);
 		}
 		erManagement.setUUID(uuid);
-		erManagement.exists();
+		try {
+			boolean found = erManagement.exists();
+			if(found){
+				return Response.status(Status.NO_CONTENT).build();
+			}else{
+				// This code should never be reached due to exception management
+				// anyway adding it for safety reason
+				return Response.status(Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
+			}
+		} catch (ERNotFoundException e) {
+			return Response.status(Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
+		} catch (ERAvailableInAnotherContextException e) {
+			return Response.status(Status.CONFLICT).build();
+		} catch (ResourceRegistryException e) {
+			throw e;
+		}
 	}
 	
 	/*