diff --git a/src/main/java/envoy/server/processors/LoginCredentialProcessor.java b/src/main/java/envoy/server/processors/LoginCredentialProcessor.java
index 31ddbbd..d58f29b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/envoy/server/processors/LoginCredentialProcessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/envoy/server/processors/LoginCredentialProcessor.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class LoginCredentialProcessor implements ObjectProcessor<LoginCredential
 		ConnectionManager		connectionManager	= ConnectionManager.getInstance();
 		String					userIdentifier		= credentials.getIdentifier();
 		try {
-			//TODO will need to be replaced with the Identifier once implemented
+			// TODO will need to be replaced with the Identifier once implemented
 			user = persistenceManager.getUserByName(userIdentifier);
 			// Checking if user is already online
 			if (connectionManager.isOnline(user.getId())) {
@@ -120,19 +120,23 @@ public class LoginCredentialProcessor implements ObjectProcessor<LoginCredential
 	 * @since Envoy Server Standalone v0.1-alpha
 	 */
 	private envoy.server.data.User newUser(LoginCredentials credentials, long socketId, ObjectWriteProxy writeProxy) throws IOException {
-		// Checking that no user already has this identifier TODO change to identifier once implemented
-		if (PersistenceManager.getPersistenceManager().getUserByName(credentials.getIdentifier()) != null)
+		try {
+			// Checking that no user already has this identifier
+			PersistenceManager.getPersistenceManager().getUserByName(credentials.getIdentifier());
+			// this code only gets executed if this user already exists
 			writeProxy.write(socketId, new HandshakeRejectionEvent(HandshakeRejectionEvent.USER_EXISTS_ALREADY));
-		// Creation of a new user
-		envoy.server.data.User user;
-		user = new envoy.server.data.User();
-		//TODO needs to be replaced later on
-		user.setName(credentials.getIdentifier());
-		user.setLastSeen(new Date());
-		user.setStatus(User.UserStatus.ONLINE);
-		user.setPasswordHash(credentials.getPasswordHash());
-		user.setContacts(PersistenceManager.getPersistenceManager().getContacts(user));
-		persistenceManager.addUser(user);
-		return user;
+			return null;
+		} catch (NoResultException e) {
+			// Creation of a new user
+			envoy.server.data.User user;
+			user = new envoy.server.data.User();
+			user.setName(credentials.getIdentifier());
+			user.setLastSeen(new Date());
+			user.setStatus(User.UserStatus.ONLINE);
+			user.setPasswordHash(credentials.getPasswordHash());
+			user.setContacts(PersistenceManager.getPersistenceManager().getContacts(user));
+			persistenceManager.addUser(user);
+			return user;
+		}
 	}
 }