diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/ws/methods/v2/Notifications.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/ws/methods/v2/Notifications.java
index 5e192b8..c22a2da 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/ws/methods/v2/Notifications.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portal/social/networking/ws/methods/v2/Notifications.java
@@ -230,26 +230,21 @@ public class Notifications {
 						username2Notify = um.getUserByUsername(userIdToNotify).getUsername();		
 					}
 					catch (Exception e) {
-						status = Status.NOT_ACCEPTABLE;
+						status = Status.BAD_REQUEST;
 						logger.error("Username not found", e);
 						responseBean.setSuccess(false);
-						responseBean.setMessage("Username not found " + userIdToNotify);
+						responseBean.setMessage("Username not found, got: " + userIdToNotify);
 						return Response.status(status).entity(responseBean).build();
 					}
-					if (username2Notify != null) {
-						deliveryResult 	= 
+			
+					deliveryResult 	= 
 								nm.notifyCatalogueEvent(
 										CatalogueEventTypeMapper.getType(event.getType()), 
-										username, 
+										username2Notify, 
 										event.getItemId(), 
 										event.getNotifyText(), 
 										event.getItemURL());
-					} else {
-						status = Status.NOT_ACCEPTABLE;
-						responseBean.setSuccess(false);
-						responseBean.setMessage("Username not found " + userIdToNotify);
-						return Response.status(status).entity(responseBean).build();
-					}
+				
 				}
 			} else { //the ids are contexts
 				for (int i = 0; i < idsToNotify.length; i++) {