diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/services/GroupManager.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/services/GroupManager.java
index 6c6a70a..20dc543 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/services/GroupManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/data/access/storagehub/services/GroupManager.java
@@ -138,11 +138,11 @@ public class GroupManager {
 			groupId = createdGroup.getID();
 			
 			User user = (User)usrManager.getAuthorizable(folderOwner);
-
-			createdGroup.addMember(user);
-			
+						
 			createVreFolder(groupId, session, accessType!=null?accessType:AccessType.WRITE_OWNER, folderOwner);
-
+			
+			this.internalAddUserToGroup(session, createdGroup, user);
+			
 			session.save();
 		}catch(Exception e) {
 			log.error("jcr error creating group {}", group, e);
@@ -351,14 +351,7 @@ public class GroupManager {
 			if (group.isMember(user))
 				throw new InvalidCallParameters("user "+userId+" is already member of group "+groupId);
 
-			success = group.addMember(user);
-
-			String folderName =  group.getPrincipal().getName();
-			Node folder = getVreFolderNode(session, folderName);
-
-			String userPath = String.format("%s%s/%s",Utils.getWorkspacePath(user.getPrincipal().getName()).toPath(),Constants.VRE_FOLDER_PARENT_NAME, folderName);
-			log.debug("creating folder in user path {}", userPath );
-			session.getWorkspace().clone(session.getWorkspace().getName(), folder.getPath(),userPath , false);
+			this.internalAddUserToGroup(session, group, user);
 
 			session.save();
 		}catch(StorageHubException she ){
@@ -375,6 +368,18 @@ public class GroupManager {
 		return success;
 	}
 
+	private boolean internalAddUserToGroup(JackrabbitSession session, Group group, User user) throws RepositoryException, StorageHubException {
+		boolean success = group.addMember(user);
+
+		String folderName =  group.getPrincipal().getName();
+		Node folder = getVreFolderNode(session, folderName);
+
+		String userPath = String.format("%s%s/%s",Utils.getWorkspacePath(user.getPrincipal().getName()).toPath(),Constants.VRE_FOLDER_PARENT_NAME, folderName);
+		log.debug("creating folder in user path {}", userPath );
+		session.getWorkspace().clone(session.getWorkspace().getName(), folder.getPath(),userPath , false);
+		return success;
+	}
+	
 	@DELETE
 	@Path("{groupId}/users/{userId}")
 	@AuthorizationControl(allowedRoles={VREMANAGER_ROLE, INFRASTRUCTURE_MANAGER_ROLE}, exception=MyAuthException.class)
@@ -475,11 +480,13 @@ public class GroupManager {
 	private void createVreFolder(String groupId, JackrabbitSession session, AccessType defaultAccessType, String owner ) throws Exception{
 
 		Node sharedRootNode = session.getNode(Constants.SHARED_FOLDER_PATH);
-
+		
 		String name = groupId;
 
 		String title = groupId.substring(groupId.lastIndexOf("-")+1);
-
+		
+		log.info("creating vreFolder with name {} and title {} and owner {}", name, title, owner);
+		
 		Node folder= Utils.createFolderInternally(session, sharedRootNode, name, "VREFolder for "+groupId, false, owner, null);
 		folder.setPrimaryType(PrimaryNodeType.NT_WORKSPACE_SHARED_FOLDER);
 		folder.setProperty(NodeProperty.IS_VRE_FOLDER.toString(), true);
@@ -515,7 +522,7 @@ public class GroupManager {
 		NodeIterator nodes = sharedRootNode.getNodes();
 		while (nodes.hasNext()) {
 			Node node = nodes.nextNode();
-			if (node.getProperty(NodeProperty.TITLE.toString()).getString().equals(name)) {
+			if (node.hasProperty(NodeProperty.TITLE.toString()) && node.getProperty(NodeProperty.TITLE.toString()).getString().equals(name)) {
 				vreFolder= node;
 				break;
 			}