diff --git a/orcid-core/src/main/java/org/orcid/core/manager/impl/OrgDisambiguatedManagerImpl.java b/orcid-core/src/main/java/org/orcid/core/manager/impl/OrgDisambiguatedManagerImpl.java
index 05f789d67fa..03faaeb9208 100644
--- a/orcid-core/src/main/java/org/orcid/core/manager/impl/OrgDisambiguatedManagerImpl.java
+++ b/orcid-core/src/main/java/org/orcid/core/manager/impl/OrgDisambiguatedManagerImpl.java
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ public void createOrgDisambiguatedExternalIdentifier(OrgDisambiguatedExternalIde
         normalizeExternalIdentifier(identifier);
         boolean toPersist = true;
         OrgDisambiguatedEntity orgDisambiguatedEntity = identifier.getOrgDisambiguated();
-        if (orgDisambiguatedEntity.getExternalIdentifiers() != null) {
+        if (orgDisambiguatedEntity != null && orgDisambiguatedEntity.getExternalIdentifiers() != null) {
             String extIdentifierKeyToAdd = identifier.getIdentifierType() + "::" + identifier.getIdentifier();
             String extIdentifierKey;
             for (OrgDisambiguatedExternalIdentifierEntity identifier1 : orgDisambiguatedEntity.getExternalIdentifiers()) {