diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlet/user/userstatisticsportlet/client/StatisticsPanel.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlet/user/userstatisticsportlet/client/StatisticsPanel.java
index 5d95aae..38dab29 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlet/user/userstatisticsportlet/client/StatisticsPanel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlet/user/userstatisticsportlet/client/StatisticsPanel.java
@@ -159,8 +159,10 @@ public class StatisticsPanel extends Composite {
 		//show loader, waiting for the answer coming by the server
 		showLoader();
 
-		// does the profile belong to someone? (when we are on a profile page of someone other, we need
-		// to retrieve the statistics of that person)
+		/* does the profile belong to someone? (when we are on a profile page of someone other, we need
+		/ to retrieve the statistics of that person).. if it is null or empty, the current user's information 
+		/ will be retrieved. 
+		 */
 		final String userid = getUserToShowId();
 
 		// request user's information
@@ -187,10 +189,8 @@ public class StatisticsPanel extends Composite {
 
 				}
 
-				// is a user profile page?
-				final boolean isProfilePage = 
-						Window.Location.getHref().endsWith("profile")
-						|| Window.Location.getHref().contains("profile?");
+				// is a user profile page? or a vre/home one (this portlet can be also deployed in a vre)
+				final boolean isProfilePage = isProfilePage();
 
 				// check which kind of information we have to show
 				isRoot = information.isRoot();
@@ -461,7 +461,6 @@ public class StatisticsPanel extends Composite {
 
 				});
 
-
 				// check if we need to show the checkbox to allow the user's profile owner to edit privacy options
 				// If the user is visiting his profile from within a vre, the checkbox WON'T be shown.
 				if(information.isOwner() && getUserToShowId() == null && isProfilePage){
@@ -801,4 +800,13 @@ public class StatisticsPanel extends Composite {
 		String encodedUserId = Window.Location.getParameter(encodedOid);
 		return Encoder.decode(encodedUserId);
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * The user-statistics can be deployed in a vre, within the home or in a profile page
+	 * @return true if the current page is a profile page, false otherwise
+	 */
+	private boolean isProfilePage() {
+		return Window.Location.getHref().endsWith("profile")
+				|| Window.Location.getHref().contains("profile?");
+	}
 }