diff --git a/sda/cmd/api/api.go b/sda/cmd/api/api.go
index 0dece461c..ba19c8af0 100644
--- a/sda/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/sda/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -409,10 +409,13 @@ func addHashedKey(c *gin.Context) {
 	}
 
 	err = Conf.API.DB.AddKeyHash(keyhash.Hash, keyhash.Description)
-    if err != nil {
-        c.AbortWithStatusJSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
-        return
-    }
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("aborting! not happy %v", err)
+		c.AbortWithStatusJSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
+
+		return
+	}
 
+	log.Warnf("Is happy")
 	c.Status(http.StatusOK)
 }
diff --git a/sda/internal/database/db_functions.go b/sda/internal/database/db_functions.go
index d50d53fce..b30168d00 100644
--- a/sda/internal/database/db_functions.go
+++ b/sda/internal/database/db_functions.go
@@ -747,10 +747,20 @@ func (dbs *SDAdb) addKeyHash(keyHash, keyDescription string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	var exists bool
+	err = db.QueryRow("SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM sda.encryption_keys WHERE key_hash=$1 AND description=$2)", keyHash, keyDescription).Scan(&exists)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if exists {
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	if rowsAffected, _ := result.RowsAffected(); rowsAffected == 0 {
+
 		return errors.New("something went wrong with the query zero rows were changed")
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }