diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/WorkspaceUploaderServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/WorkspaceUploaderServiceImpl.java
index d559226..2b1aa69 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/WorkspaceUploaderServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/WorkspaceUploaderServiceImpl.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.workspaceuploader.server.util.WsUtil;
 import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.workspaceuploader.shared.UploadProgress;
 import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.workspaceuploader.shared.WorkspaceUploaderItem;
 import org.gcube.portlets.widgets.workspaceuploader.shared.WorkspaceUploaderItem.UPLOAD_STATUS;
+import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.GCubeUser;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -108,8 +109,8 @@ public class WorkspaceUploaderServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implement
 		Workspace workspace;
 		try {
 			String scopeGroupId = ""+PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentGroupId(getThreadLocalRequest());
-			String currUserId = ""+PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentUser(getThreadLocalRequest());
-			workspace = WsUtil.getWorkspace(getThreadLocalRequest(), scopeGroupId, currUserId);
+			GCubeUser currUser = PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentUser(getThreadLocalRequest());
+			workspace = WsUtil.getWorkspace(getThreadLocalRequest(), scopeGroupId, currUser.getUserId()+"");
 			if(workspace!=null)
 				return workspace.getRoot().getId();
 		} catch (Exception e) {
@@ -130,7 +131,8 @@ public class WorkspaceUploaderServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implement
 		logger.trace("get itemExistsInWorkpace by parentId: "+parentId);
 		try {
 			String scopeGroupId = ""+PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentGroupId(getThreadLocalRequest());
-			String currUserId = ""+PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentUser(getThreadLocalRequest());
+			GCubeUser currUser = PortalContext.getConfiguration().getCurrentUser(getThreadLocalRequest());
+			String currUserId = currUser!=null?currUser.getUserId()+"":null;
 			Workspace workspace = WsUtil.getWorkspace(getThreadLocalRequest(), scopeGroupId, currUserId);
 			WorkspaceItem wsItem = workspace.getItem(parentId); //GET PARENT
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/notification/NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/notification/NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer.java
index cd05cf4..ef4fd47 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/notification/NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/workspaceuploader/server/notification/NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer {
 
 	protected NotificationsManager notificationsMng;
 
-	protected String userId;
+	protected String username;
 
 	/**
 	 * Instantiates a new notifications workspace uploader producer.
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer {
 		this.notificationsMng = getNotificationManager(scopeGroupId, httpSession, request);
 		PortalContext pContext = PortalContext.getConfiguration();
 		GCubeUser currUser = pContext.getCurrentUser(request);
-		this.userId = currUser.getUsername();
+		this.username = currUser.getUsername();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -91,15 +91,15 @@ public class NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer {
 		GCubeUser currUser = pContext.getCurrentUser(request);
 		if (notifMng == null) {
 			try{
-			
+
 				String scope = pContext.getCurrentScope(scopeGroupId);
 				logger.trace("Create new NotificationsManager for user: "+currUser.getUsername() + " Scope="+scope);
 				logger.trace("New ApplicationNotificationsManager with portlet class name: "+WsUtil.NOTIFICATION_PORTLET_CLASS_ID);
 				logger.info("Request URI: "+request.getRequestURI());
 				SocialNetworkingSite site = new SocialNetworkingSite(request);
 				SocialNetworkingUser curser = new SocialNetworkingUser(currUser.getUsername(), currUser.getEmail(), currUser.getFullname(), currUser.getUserAvatarURL());
-				
-				
+
+
 				notifMng = new ApplicationNotificationsManager(site, scope, curser, WsUtil.NOTIFICATION_PORTLET_CLASS_ID);
 				httpSession.setAttribute(WsUtil.NOTIFICATION_MANAGER_UPLOADER, notifMng);
 			}catch (Exception e) {
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer {
 		this.notificationsMng = notificationMng;
 	}
 
-	
+
 	/**
 	 * Runs a new thread to notify the contacts passed in input.
 	 *
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public class NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer {
 						try{
 
 							//NOTIFIES ONLY THE USERS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM CURRENT USER
-							if(infoContactModel.getLogin().compareTo(userId)!=0){
+							if(infoContactModel.getLogin().compareTo(username)!=0){
 
 								logger.info("Sending notification to user "+infoContactModel.getLogin() +" added item "+workspaceItem.getName()+" in shared folder "+sharedFolder.getName());
 								boolean notify = notificationsMng.notifyAddedItem(infoContactModel.getLogin(), workspaceItem, sharedFolder);
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class NotificationsWorkspaceUploaderProducer {
 						try{
 
 							//NOTIFIES ONLY THE USERS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM CURRENT USER
-							if(infoContactModel.getLogin().compareTo(userId)!=0){
+							if(infoContactModel.getLogin().compareTo(username)!=0){
 
 								logger.info("Sending notification to user "+infoContactModel.getLogin() +" updated item "+workspaceItem.getName()+" in shared folder "+sharedFolder.getName());
 								boolean notify = notificationsMng.notifyUpdatedItem(infoContactModel.getLogin(), workspaceItem, sharedFolder);