diff --git a/src/actions/RecordActions.js b/src/actions/RecordActions.js
index 5024cbb9..15c64d8f 100644
--- a/src/actions/RecordActions.js
+++ b/src/actions/RecordActions.js
@@ -106,11 +106,9 @@ export function createRecord(record) {
       })
       .catch((error) => {
         dispatch(saveRecordError(error.response.data, record, ACTION_FLAG.CREATE_ENTITY));
-        dispatch(
-          publishMessage(
-            errorMessage("record.save-error", { error: getState().intl.messages[error.response.data.messageId] }),
-          ),
-        );
+        const errorMessageText =
+          getState().intl.messages[error.response.data.messageId] || error.response.data || "An error occurred";
+        dispatch(publishMessage(errorMessage("record.save-error", { error: errorMessageText })));
       });
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/__tests__/actions/RecordActions.spec.jsx b/tests/__tests__/actions/RecordActions.spec.jsx
index 8c021031..8cede4d8 100644
--- a/tests/__tests__/actions/RecordActions.spec.jsx
+++ b/tests/__tests__/actions/RecordActions.spec.jsx
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ describe("Record asynchronous actions", function () {
         { type: ActionConstants.PUBLISH_MESSAGE, message: successMessage("record.save-success") },
         { type: ActionConstants.LOAD_RECORDS_SUCCESS, records },
       ];
-
+      mockApi.onGet(`${API_URL}/rest/users/current`).reply(200, { institution: "Test Institution" });
       mockApi.onPost(`${API_URL}/rest/records`).reply(200, null, { location });
       mockApi.onGet(`${API_URL}/rest/records`).reply(200, records, {});