diff --git a/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/data/repository/UserRepository.java b/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/data/repository/UserRepository.java
index 6973e0f2e..412f98290 100644
--- a/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/data/repository/UserRepository.java
+++ b/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/data/repository/UserRepository.java
@@ -32,18 +32,14 @@ protected UserRepository() {
     }
 
     public User findBySubject(String subject) {
-        try {
-            CriteriaQuery<User> query = em.getCriteriaBuilder().createQuery(User.class);
-            Root<User> queryRoot = query.from(User.class);
-            query.select(queryRoot);
-            CriteriaBuilder cb = cb();
-            return em.createQuery(query
-                            .where(
-                                    eq(cb, queryRoot, "subject", subject)))
-                    .getSingleResult();
-        } catch (NoResultException e) {
-            return null;
-        }
+        CriteriaQuery<User> query = em.getCriteriaBuilder().createQuery(User.class);
+        Root<User> queryRoot = query.from(User.class);
+        query.select(queryRoot);
+        CriteriaBuilder cb = cb();
+        return em.createQuery(query
+                        .where(
+                                eq(cb, queryRoot, "subject", subject)))
+                .getSingleResult();
     }
 
     public User findBySubjectAndConnection(String subject, String connectionId) {
@@ -81,7 +77,7 @@ public List<User> listUnmatchedByConnectionId(Connection connection) {
      * @return
      */
     public User findOrCreate(User inputUser) {
-        User user = null;
+        User user;
         String subject = inputUser.getSubject();
         try {
             user = findBySubject(subject);
@@ -94,6 +90,7 @@ public User findOrCreate(User inputUser) {
             user = createUser(inputUser);
         } catch (NonUniqueResultException e) {
             logger.error("findOrCreate() " + e.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": " + e.getMessage());
+            user = createUser(inputUser);
         }
         return user;
     }
diff --git a/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/rest/AuthService.java b/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/rest/AuthService.java
index 0c5f0098d..b304af1d3 100644
--- a/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/rest/AuthService.java
+++ b/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/rest/AuthService.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 @Produces("application/json")
 public class AuthService {
 
-    private Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());
+    private final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());
 
     @Inject
     AuthenticationService authenticationService;
diff --git a/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/service/auth/FENCEAuthenticationService.java b/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/service/auth/FENCEAuthenticationService.java
index 08f40b08d..c52f0e0b6 100644
--- a/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/service/auth/FENCEAuthenticationService.java
+++ b/pic-sure-auth-services/src/main/java/edu/harvard/hms/dbmi/avillach/auth/service/auth/FENCEAuthenticationService.java
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ private User createUserFromFENCEProfile(JsonNode node) {
      * @param roleDescription Description of the Role
      * @return boolean Whether the Role was successfully added to the User or not
      */
-    public boolean upsertRole(User u,  String roleName, String roleDescription) {
+    private boolean upsertRole(User u,  String roleName, String roleDescription) {
         boolean status = false;
         logger.debug("upsertRole() starting for user subject:"+u.getSubject());