diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/caches/SocialNetworkingSiteFinder.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/caches/SocialNetworkingSiteFinder.java
index f573859..3f00681 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/caches/SocialNetworkingSiteFinder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/caches/SocialNetworkingSiteFinder.java
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public class SocialNetworkingSiteFinder {
 		if(scope == null || scope.isEmpty())
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Scope cannot be null/empty");
 
-		if(socialSitesCache.get(scope) != null)
+		if(socialSitesCache != null && socialSitesCache.get(scope) != null)
 			return (SocialNetworkingSite) socialSitesCache.get(scope).getObjectValue();
 		else{
 			SocialNetworkingSite site = discoverSite(scope);