diff --git a/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchService.java b/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchService.java
index 34186d37bba13fecb77bf1fad9c254e502f2796d..d01561f2d301fad3469d8cba947f825616e9eb82 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchService.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchService.java
@@ -245,7 +245,10 @@ public class SearchService implements ISearchService {
 		if (query.startsWith(REACTION_SEARCH_PREFIX)) {
 			return getReactionById(model, query.replaceFirst(REACTION_SEARCH_PREFIX, "").toLowerCase());
 		} else if (query.startsWith(SPECIES_SEARCH_PREFIX)) {
-			result.add(fullAliasViewFactory.create(model.getElementByElementId(query.replaceFirst(SPECIES_SEARCH_PREFIX, ""))));
+		  Element element = model.getElementByElementId(query.replaceFirst(SPECIES_SEARCH_PREFIX, ""));
+		  if (element !=null) {
+			result.add(fullAliasViewFactory.create(element));
+		  }
 		} else if (query.startsWith(ELEMENT_SEARCH_PREFIX)) {
 			return getElementById(model, query.replaceFirst(ELEMENT_SEARCH_PREFIX, "").toLowerCase());
 		} else {
diff --git a/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchServiceTest.java b/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchServiceTest.java
index 8dc37c8a7c57e7defae75f518845ffa12ca8b0bf..125d3d417c529f5ab14d7fe919ef2f42b2cbbf52 100644
--- a/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchServiceTest.java
+++ b/service/src/test/java/lcsb/mapviewer/services/impl/SearchServiceTest.java
@@ -139,20 +139,35 @@ public class SearchServiceTest extends ServiceTestFunctions {
 		}
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void testSearchByElementId() throws Exception {
-		try {
-			Model model = createFullModel();
-			Element element =model.getElements().iterator().next(); 
-			element.setId(907);
-			SearchElementResult global = searchService.searchByQuery(model, "element:907", 50, null, "127.0.0.1");
-			assertNotNull(global);
-			assertEquals(1, global.size());
-		} catch (Exception e) {
-			e.printStackTrace();
-			throw e;
-		}
-	}
+    @Test
+    public void testSearchByElementId() throws Exception {
+        try {
+            Model model = createFullModel();
+            Element element =model.getElements().iterator().next(); 
+            element.setId(907);
+            SearchElementResult global = searchService.searchByQuery(model, "element:907", 50, null, "127.0.0.1");
+            assertNotNull(global);
+            assertEquals(1, global.size());
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            throw e;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSearchByUnknwonElementId() throws Exception {
+        try {
+            Model model = createFullModel();
+            Element element =model.getElements().iterator().next(); 
+            element.setId(907);
+            SearchElementResult global = searchService.searchByQuery(model, "species:90111117", 50, null, "127.0.0.1");
+            assertNotNull(global);
+            assertEquals(0, global.size());
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            throw e;
+        }
+    }
 
 	@Test
 	public void testSearchByName4() throws Exception {