diff --git a/rest-api/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/api/genomics/ReferenceGenomeRestImpl.java b/rest-api/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/api/genomics/ReferenceGenomeRestImpl.java
index d6271f6d2b3c8c0f3d8525cb353ab3bc38ce8367..b260d3c77451ead036cacdc3ff3f414890dc6cbf 100644
--- a/rest-api/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/api/genomics/ReferenceGenomeRestImpl.java
+++ b/rest-api/src/main/java/lcsb/mapviewer/api/genomics/ReferenceGenomeRestImpl.java
@@ -168,7 +168,12 @@ public class ReferenceGenomeRestImpl extends BaseRestImpl {
 
   public List<Map<String, Object>> getReferenceGenomeVersions(String organismId, String type)
       throws QueryException {
-    ReferenceGenomeType genomeType = ReferenceGenomeType.valueOf(type);
+    ReferenceGenomeType genomeType = null;
+    try {
+      genomeType = ReferenceGenomeType.valueOf(type);
+    } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+      throw new QueryException("Invalid type: " + type);
+    }
     MiriamData organism;
     if (organismId != null && !organismId.isEmpty()) {
       organism = new MiriamData(MiriamType.TAXONOMY, organismId);