diff --git a/guardian-service/src/api/helpers/profile-helper.ts b/guardian-service/src/api/helpers/profile-helper.ts
index 4c14aae7ce..e3a8cd1fe4 100644
--- a/guardian-service/src/api/helpers/profile-helper.ts
+++ b/guardian-service/src/api/helpers/profile-helper.ts
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ export async function createSystemSchemas({
         return null;
     } catch (error) {
         logger.error(error, ['GUARDIAN_SERVICE'], logId);
-        return null;
+        throw error;
     }
 }
 
@@ -465,8 +465,7 @@ export async function createUserProfile({
         await dataBaseServer.update(DidDocumentCollection, null, didRow);
     } catch (error) {
         logger.error(error, ['GUARDIAN_SERVICE'], logId);
-        // didRow.status = DidDocumentStatus.FAILED;
-        // await new DataBaseHelper(DidDocumentCollection).update(didRow);
+        throw error;
     }
     notifier.completeStep(STEP_PUBLISH_DID);
     // ------------------------
@@ -499,11 +498,13 @@ export async function createUserProfile({
         notifier.startStep(STEP_PUBLISH_VC);
         logger.info('Create VC Document', ['GUARDIAN_SERVICE'], logId);
 
+        if (!schemaObject) {
+            throw new Error(`System schema for entity "${entity}" not found.`);
+        }
+
         let credentialSubject: any = { ...vcDocument };
         credentialSubject.id = userDID;
-        if (schemaObject) {
-            credentialSubject = SchemaHelper.updateObjectContext(schemaObject, credentialSubject);
-        }
+        credentialSubject = SchemaHelper.updateObjectContext(schemaObject, credentialSubject);
 
         const vcObject = await vcHelper.createVerifiableCredential(credentialSubject, currentDidDocument, null, null);
         const vcMessage = new VCMessage(MessageAction.CreateVC);
diff --git a/queue-service/src/queue-service/queue-service.ts b/queue-service/src/queue-service/queue-service.ts
index 0a25a508ae..5d54b0a936 100644
--- a/queue-service/src/queue-service/queue-service.ts
+++ b/queue-service/src/queue-service/queue-service.ts
@@ -55,18 +55,14 @@ export class QueueService extends NatsService {
                 } else {
                     task.isError = true;
                     task.errorReason = data.error;
-                    if (!task.interception) {
-                        await this.completeTaskInQueue(data.id, data.data, data.error);
-                    }
+                    await this.completeTaskInQueue(data.id, data.data, data.error);
                 }
             } else {
                 task.attempt = 0;
                 task.isError = true;
                 task.errorReason = data.error;
 
-                if (!task.interception) {
-                    await this.completeTaskInQueue(data.id, data.data, data.error);
-                }
+                await this.completeTaskInQueue(data.id, data.data, data.error);
             }
 
             await dataBaseServer.save(TaskEntity, task);
diff --git a/worker-service/src/api/ipfs-client-class.ts b/worker-service/src/api/ipfs-client-class.ts
index 50f84682a9..64c5a86f48 100644
--- a/worker-service/src/api/ipfs-client-class.ts
+++ b/worker-service/src/api/ipfs-client-class.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ export class IpfsClientClass {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Guard against an uninitialized client.
+     * @private
+     */
+    private assertClientReady(): void {
+        if (!this.client) {
+            throw new Error(`IPFS client not initialized (provider="${this.IPFS_PROVIDER}"); check IPFS_PROVIDER and credentials.`);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create ipfs client
      * @private
@@ -121,6 +131,7 @@ export class IpfsClientClass {
      * @param beforeCallback
      */
     public async addFile(file: Buffer): Promise<string> {
+        this.assertClientReady();
         let cid: string;
         switch (this.IPFS_PROVIDER) {
             case IpfsProvider.WEB3STORAGE: {
@@ -152,6 +163,7 @@ export class IpfsClientClass {
      * @param cid
      */
     public async deleteCid(cid: string): Promise<boolean> {
+        this.assertClientReady();
         switch (this.IPFS_PROVIDER) {
             case IpfsProvider.LOCAL: {
                 await this.client.pin.rm(cid);