diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/controllers/branches/BranchesController.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/controllers/branches/BranchesController.java
index 60e61318b..1c255e63c 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/controllers/branches/BranchesController.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/controllers/branches/BranchesController.java
@@ -45,8 +45,14 @@ public RefsResponse getAllRefs(
         if (!permissionService.isProjectPublic(projectId)) {
             List<RefJson> filtered = new ArrayList<>();
             for (RefJson ref: res.getRefs()) {
-                if (mss.hasBranchPrivilege(auth, projectId, ref.getId(), Privileges.BRANCH_READ.name(), false)) {
-                    filtered.add(ref);
+                try {
+                    if (mss.hasBranchPrivilege(auth, projectId, ref.getId(),
+                        Privileges.BRANCH_READ.name(), false)) {
+                        filtered.add(ref);
+                    }
+                } catch (MMSException e) {
+                    logger.warn("error in getting branch permissions: projectId=" +
+                        projectId + ", refId=" + ref.getId(), e);
                 }
             }
             res.setRefs(filtered);
diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeDeleteHelper.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeDeleteHelper.java
index 1e3bd75f3..98caddfc7 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeDeleteHelper.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeDeleteHelper.java
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ public NodeChangeInfo processDeleteJson(List<ElementJson> elements, CommitJson c
                 info.addRejection(nodeId, new Rejection(indexElement, 304, "Already deleted"));
                 continue;
             }
+            if (indexElement == null) {
+                logger.warn("node db and index mismatch on element delete: nodeId: " + nodeId +
+                    ", docId not found: " + info.getExistingNodeMap().get(nodeId).getDocId());
+                indexElement = Map.of("id", nodeId);
+            }
             ElementJson request = info.getReqElementMap().get(nodeId);
             request.putAll(indexElement);
             processElementDeleted(request, node, info);
diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeGetHelper.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeGetHelper.java
index 611238ce4..8e1d3e777 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeGetHelper.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodeGetHelper.java
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ private NodeGetInfo processLatest(NodeGetInfo info, NodeService service) {
             }
             ElementJson indexElement = info.getExistingElementMap().get(nodeId);
             if (info.getExistingNodeMap().get(nodeId).isDeleted()) {
-                rejectDeleted(info, nodeId, indexElement);
+                rejectDeleted(info, nodeId, indexElement == null ? new ElementJson().setId(nodeId) : indexElement);
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (indexElement == null) {
+                logger.warn("node db and index mismatch on element get: nodeId: " + nodeId +
+                    ", docId not found: " + info.getExistingNodeMap().get(nodeId).getDocId());
+                rejectNotFound(info, nodeId);
                 continue;
             }
             if (service != null) {
@@ -75,6 +81,23 @@ private NodeGetInfo processCommit(NodeGetInfo info, String commitId, NodeService
                 continue;
             }
             ElementJson indexElement = info.getExistingElementMap().get(nodeId);
+            if (indexElement == null) {
+                Node n = info.getExistingNodeMap().get(nodeId);
+                logger.warn("node db and index mismatch on element commit get: nodeId: " + nodeId +
+                    ", docId not found: " + n.getDocId());
+                Optional<Commit> last = commitRepository.findByCommitId(n.getLastCommit());
+                Optional<Commit> first = commitRepository.findByCommitId(n.getInitialCommit());
+                if (!last.isPresent() || !first.isPresent()) {
+                    rejectNotFound(info, nodeId);
+                    continue;
+                }
+                indexElement = new ElementJson().setId(nodeId).setDocId(n.getDocId());
+                indexElement.setModified(formatter.format(last.get().getTimestamp()));
+                indexElement.setModifier(last.get().getCreator());
+                indexElement.setCommitId(last.get().getCommitId());
+                indexElement.setCreator(first.get().getCreator());
+                indexElement.setCreated(formatter.format(first.get().getTimestamp()));
+            }
             Instant modified = Instant.from(formatter.parse(indexElement.getModified()));
             Instant created = Instant.from(formatter.parse(indexElement.getCreated()));
 
diff --git a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java
index 1410120cc..082b0db21 100644
--- a/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java
+++ b/crud/src/main/java/org/openmbee/mms/crud/services/NodePostHelper.java
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import org.openmbee.mms.core.config.Formats;
 import org.openmbee.mms.core.objects.Rejection;
 import org.openmbee.mms.core.services.NodeChangeInfo;
 import org.openmbee.mms.core.services.NodeService;
+import org.openmbee.mms.data.domains.scoped.Commit;
 import org.openmbee.mms.json.BaseJson;
 import org.openmbee.mms.json.CommitJson;
 import org.openmbee.mms.json.ElementJson;
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ public boolean diffUpdateJson(BaseJson element, Map<String, Object> existing,
 
         String jsonModified = element.getModified();
         Object existingModified = existing.get(BaseJson.MODIFIED);
-        if (jsonModified != null && !jsonModified.isEmpty()) {
+        if (jsonModified != null && !jsonModified.isEmpty() && existingModified != null) {
             try {
                 Date jsonModDate = Formats.SDF.parse(jsonModified);
                 Date existingModDate = Formats.SDF.parse(existingModified.toString());
@@ -72,8 +74,14 @@ public NodeChangeInfo processPostJson(List<ElementJson> elements, boolean overwr
                 added = true;
             } else if (indexElement == null) {
                 logger.warn("node db and index mismatch on element update: nodeId: " + n.getNodeId() + ", docId not found: " + n.getDocId());
-                info.addRejection(element.getId(), new Rejection(element, 500, "Update failed: previous element not found"));
-                continue;
+                //info.addRejection(element.getId(), new Rejection(element, 500, "Update failed: previous element not found"));
+                //continue;
+                indexElement = new ElementJson().setId(n.getNodeId()).setDocId(n.getDocId());
+                Optional<Commit> init = commitRepository.findByCommitId(n.getInitialCommit());
+                if (init.isPresent()) {
+                    indexElement.setCreator(init.get().getCreator());
+                    indexElement.setCreated(formatter.format(init.get().getTimestamp()));
+                }
             }
 
             if (!added) {