diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/AuthorizationChecker.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/AuthorizationChecker.java
index 4e2c10d..dae87c9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/AuthorizationChecker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/AuthorizationChecker.java
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ public class AuthorizationChecker {
 		if (item==null) throw new UserNotAuthorizedException("Insufficent Provileges for user "+login+" to read node with id "+id+": it's  not a valid StorageHub node");
 		
 		if (item.isPublicItem()) return;
-		
+				
 		if (item.isShared()) {
 			SharedFolder parentShared = node2Item.getItem(retrieveSharedFolderParent(node, session), Excludes.EXCLUDE_ACCOUNTING);
 			if (!parentShared.getUsers().getValues().containsKey(login))
 				throw new UserNotAuthorizedException("Insufficent Provileges for user "+login+" to read node with id "+id);
-		} else if (!item.getOwner().equals(login))
+		} else if (item.getOwner()==null || !item.getOwner().equals(login))
 			throw new UserNotAuthorizedException("Insufficent Provileges for user "+login+" to read node with id "+id);
 
 	}