diff --git a/registry-ws/src/main/java/org/gbif/registry/ws/resources/collections/CollectionResource.java b/registry-ws/src/main/java/org/gbif/registry/ws/resources/collections/CollectionResource.java
index a7ef4bd68..a1773a55c 100644
--- a/registry-ws/src/main/java/org/gbif/registry/ws/resources/collections/CollectionResource.java
+++ b/registry-ws/src/main/java/org/gbif/registry/ws/resources/collections/CollectionResource.java
@@ -850,6 +850,12 @@ public PagingResponse<Descriptor> listCollectionDescriptors(
       @PathVariable("collectionKey") UUID collectionKey,
       @PathVariable("key") long descriptorGroupKey,
       DescriptorSearchRequest searchRequest) {
+    DescriptorGroup existingDescriptorGroup =
+      descriptorsService.getDescriptorGroup(descriptorGroupKey);
+    if (existingDescriptorGroup == null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
     searchRequest.setDescriptorGroupKey(descriptorGroupKey);
     return descriptorsService.listDescriptors(searchRequest);
   }
@@ -872,9 +878,15 @@ public Descriptor getCollectionDescriptor(
       @PathVariable("collectionKey") UUID collectionKey,
       @PathVariable("descriptorGroupKey") long descriptorGroupKey,
       @PathVariable("key") long descriptorKey) {
+    DescriptorGroup existingDescriptorGroup =
+        descriptorsService.getDescriptorGroup(descriptorGroupKey);
+    if (existingDescriptorGroup == null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
     Descriptor descriptor = descriptorsService.getDescriptor(descriptorKey);
     Preconditions.checkArgument(descriptor.getDescriptorGroupKey().equals(descriptorGroupKey));
-    getDescriptorGroupWithCheck(collectionKey, descriptorGroupKey);
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(existingDescriptorGroup.getCollectionKey().equals(collectionKey));
     return descriptor;
   }
 }