diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/akka/ExperimentActor.java b/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/akka/ExperimentActor.java
index b93fbc0e1d529a4ae5eeb76dbd595bef95b58e73..c77bc66ddfc9d23d1babb770c00ee115d248277d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/akka/ExperimentActor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/akka/ExperimentActor.java
@@ -47,15 +47,26 @@ public class ExperimentActor extends UntypedActor {
             QueryResult queryResult = (QueryResult) message;
             log.info("received query result for : " + expUUID.toString());
             Experiment experiment = experimentRepository.findOne(expUUID);
+            if(experiment == null)
+            {
+                log.error("Experiment with UUID="+expUUID+" not found in DB");
+                return;
+            }
             experiment.setResult(queryResult.data().get());
             experiment.setFinished(new Date());
             experimentRepository.save(experiment);
             log.info("Experiment "+ expUUID +" updated (finished)");
         }
+
         else if (message instanceof QueryError) {
             QueryError queryError = (QueryError) message;
             log.warning("received query error");
             Experiment experiment = experimentRepository.findOne(expUUID);
+            if(experiment == null)
+            {
+                log.error("Experiment with UUID="+expUUID+" not found in DB");
+                return;
+            }
             experiment.setHasServerError(true);
             experiment.setResult(queryError.message());
             experimentRepository.save(experiment);
@@ -63,6 +74,7 @@ public class ExperimentActor extends UntypedActor {
             experimentRepository.save(experiment);
             log.info("Experiment "+ expUUID +" updated (finished)");
         }
+
         else {
             unhandled(message);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/controllers/ExperimentApi.java b/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/controllers/ExperimentApi.java
index b9639f2cc836af357637bbb2e4474c5bb5fe2121..2817519bb951407fe4ba0c5a1df4bfa98a05e03c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/controllers/ExperimentApi.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/hbp/mip/controllers/ExperimentApi.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.cache.annotation.Cacheable;
-import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.*;
@@ -46,8 +45,6 @@ public class ExperimentApi {
 
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(ExperimentApi.class);
 
-    private static final String EXAREME_ALGO_JSON_FILE="data/exareme_algorithms.json";
-
     private static final Gson gson = new Gson();
 
     private static final Gson gsonOnlyExposed = new GsonBuilder()
@@ -56,6 +53,8 @@ public class ExperimentApi {
             .excludeFieldsWithoutExposeAnnotation()
             .create();
 
+    private static final String EXAREME_ALGO_JSON_FILE="data/exareme_algorithms.json";
+
     private static final String EXAREME_LR_ALGO = "WP_LINEAR_REGRESSION";
 
     @Value("#{'${services.woken.experimentUrl:http://dockerhost:8087/experiment}'}")
@@ -79,9 +78,6 @@ public class ExperimentApi {
     @Autowired
     private ActorSystem actorSystem;
 
-    @Autowired
-    private ApplicationContext applicationContext;
-
     @Value("#{'${akka.woken-path:akka.tcp://woken@127.0.0.1:8088/user/entrypoint}'}")
     private String wokenPath;
 
@@ -216,8 +212,6 @@ public class ExperimentApi {
     public ResponseEntity listAvailableMethodsAndValidations() throws IOException {
         LOGGER.info("List available methods and validations");
 
-        StringBuilder response = new StringBuilder();
-
         ActorSelection wokenActor = actorSystem.actorSelection(wokenPath);
         ActorRef simpleActor = actorSystem.actorOf(Props.create(SimpleActor.class));
         wokenActor.tell(new MethodsQuery(), simpleActor);
@@ -292,6 +286,7 @@ public class ExperimentApi {
     }
 
     private void sendExaremeExperiment(Experiment experiment) {
+        // TODO: integrate Exareme
         // this runs in the background. For future optimization: use a thread pool
 //        new Thread() {
 //            @Override
@@ -325,12 +320,6 @@ public class ExperimentApi {
         LOGGER.info("Experiment updated (finished)");
     }
 
-    private static void setExperimentError(IOException e, Experiment experiment) {
-        experiment.setHasError(true);
-        experiment.setHasServerError(true);
-        experiment.setResult(e.getMessage());
-    }
-
     private static boolean isExaremeAlgo(ExperimentQuery expQuery) {
         return expQuery.getAlgorithms().size() >= 1 && "glm_exareme".equals(expQuery.getAlgorithms().get(0).getCode());
     }