diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/interceptor/RequestInterceptor.java b/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/interceptor/RequestInterceptor.java
index a0df50f3ed3843312e3dd40aa3b4bea811f9de49..dc051f2737551220903200a1725aa7d82a90b523 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/interceptor/RequestInterceptor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/interceptor/RequestInterceptor.java
@@ -10,10 +10,8 @@ import java.util.Enumeration;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
-
 import lombok.extern.log4j.Log4j2;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Level;
 import org.slf4j.MDC;
@@ -112,7 +110,9 @@ public class RequestInterceptor implements HandlerInterceptor {
             userId = claims.getUserId();
         }
 
-        String ipString = request.getHeader("X-FORWARDED-FOR") != null ? request.getHeader("X-FORWARDED-FOR") : request.getRemoteAddr();
+        String ipString = request.getHeader("X-FORWARDED-FOR") != null
+                ? request.getHeader("X-FORWARDED-FOR")
+                : request.getRemoteAddr();
 
         List<String> ips = List.of();
         if (ipString != null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/services/UserAuthService.java b/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/services/UserAuthService.java
index e7e7242befa848a00e2ba3b411aa11cac97a8264..919e440c1de84d762a945331beb6bdfaa7ece8e7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/services/UserAuthService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/umd/dawn/common/services/UserAuthService.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import com.mongodb.client.MongoDatabase;
 import edu.umd.dawn.common.enums.Role;
 import edu.umd.dawn.common.exceptions.BaseExceptions;
 import edu.umd.dawn.common.exceptions.DawnException;
+import edu.umd.dawn.common.exceptions.DawnExceptionParameters;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import org.bson.Document;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
@@ -18,13 +19,21 @@ public class UserAuthService {
     private MongoClient mongoClient;
     private MongoDatabase mongoDatabase;
 
-    @Value("${common.annotation.mongodb.uri}")
+    @Value("${common.annotation.mongodb.uri:empty}")
     private String uri;
 
-    @Value("${common.annotation.mongodb.database}")
+    @Value("${common.annotation.mongodb.database:empty}")
     private String db;
 
     protected MongoDatabase getDatabase() {
+        if (uri.equals("empty") || db.equals("empty")) {
+            throw new DawnException(new DawnExceptionParameters(
+                    500,
+                    "INTERNAL",
+                    "internal server error",
+                    "mongodb uri or db for authentication via annotation is not provided. Required properties"
+                            + " are 'common.annotation.mongodb.uri' and 'common.annotation.mongodb.database'"));
+        }
         if (mongoClient == null) {
             mongoClient = MongoClients.create(uri);
         }