diff --git a/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/ControllerAdvice.java b/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/ControllerAdvice.java
index 775f86a..89b5872 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/ControllerAdvice.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/ControllerAdvice.java
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package com.knecon.fforesight.tenantusermanagement.controller;
 
 import javax.ws.rs.BadRequestException;
+import javax.ws.rs.ForbiddenException;
+import javax.ws.rs.NotFoundException;
 
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
@@ -9,6 +11,7 @@ import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestControllerAdvice;
 import org.springframework.web.server.ResponseStatusException;
 
+import com.knecon.fforesight.keycloakcommons.security.KeycloakSecurity;
 import com.knecon.fforesight.tenantusermanagement.model.ErrorMessage;
 
 @RestControllerAdvice
@@ -20,6 +23,16 @@ public class ControllerAdvice {
         return new ResponseEntity<>(new ErrorMessage(e.getMessage()), HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
     }
 
+    @ExceptionHandler(NotFoundException.class)
+    public ResponseEntity<ErrorMessage> handleNotFound(NotFoundException e) {
+        return new ResponseEntity<>(new ErrorMessage(e.getMessage()), HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+
+    @ExceptionHandler(ForbiddenException.class)
+    public ResponseEntity<ErrorMessage> handleForbiddenAccess(ForbiddenException e) {
+        return new ResponseEntity<>(new ErrorMessage(e.getMessage()), HttpStatus.FORBIDDEN);
+    }
+
 
     @ExceptionHandler(ResponseStatusException.class)
     public ResponseEntity<ErrorMessage> handleResponseStatusException(ResponseStatusException e) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/external/UserPreferenceController.java b/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/external/UserPreferenceController.java
index 455647f..4268bce 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/external/UserPreferenceController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/knecon/fforesight/tenantusermanagement/controller/external/UserPreferenceController.java
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import javax.ws.rs.ForbiddenException;
+import javax.ws.rs.NotFoundException;
+
 import org.springframework.security.access.prepost.PreAuthorize;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.PathVariable;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
@@ -42,19 +45,23 @@ public class UserPreferenceController implements UserPreferenceResource, PublicR
     @PreAuthorize("hasAuthority('" + UserManagementPermissions.MANAGE_USER_PREFERENCES + "')")
     public void setAttribute(@PathVariable(KEY_PARAMETER_NAME) String key, List<String> values) {
 
-        String userId = KeycloakSecurity.getUserId();
+        try {
+            String userId = KeycloakSecurity.getUserId();
 
-        var userResource = userService.getUserResource(userId);
-        var userRepresentation = userResource.toRepresentation();
+            var userResource = userService.getUserResource(userId);
+            var userRepresentation = userResource.toRepresentation();
 
-        var attributes = userRepresentation.getAttributes();
-        if (attributes == null) {
-            attributes = new HashMap<>();
+            var attributes = userRepresentation.getAttributes();
+            if (attributes == null) {
+                attributes = new HashMap<>();
+            }
+            attributes.put(key, values);
+            userRepresentation.setAttributes(attributes);
+
+            userResource.update(userRepresentation);
+        } catch(NotFoundException exception) {
+            throw new ForbiddenException("user could not be authenticated because user data does not exist");
         }
-        attributes.put(key, values);
-        userRepresentation.setAttributes(attributes);
-
-        userResource.update(userRepresentation);
 
     }