diff --git a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionServiceBean.java b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionServiceBean.java
index cf4aae57174..9947cc33775 100644
--- a/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionServiceBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/edu/harvard/iq/dataverse/PermissionServiceBean.java
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public class PermissionServiceBean {
         ")\n" +
         "\n" +
         "SELECT * FROM DATAVERSE WHERE id IN (\n" +
-        "  SELECT definitionpoint_id \n" +
+        "  SELECT definitionpoint_id\n" +
         "  FROM roleassignment\n" +
         "  WHERE roleassignment.assigneeidentifier IN (\n" +
         "    SELECT CONCAT('&explicit/', explicitgroup.groupalias) as assignee\n" +
@@ -114,29 +114,25 @@ public class PermissionServiceBean {
         "    WHERE explicitgroup.id IN (\n" +
         "      (\n" +
         "      SELECT explicitgroup.id id\n" +
-        "      FROM explicitgroup \n" +
-        "      WHERE explicitgroup.id IN (SELECT id FROM grouplist)\n" +
+        "      FROM explicitgroup\n" +
+        "      WHERE EXISTS (SELECT id FROM grouplist WHERE id = explicitgroup.id)\n" +
         "      ) UNION (\n" +
         "      SELECT explicitgroup_explicitgroup.containedexplicitgroups_id id\n" +
         "      FROM explicitgroup_explicitgroup\n" +
-        "      WHERE explicitgroup_explicitgroup.explicitgroup_id IN (SELECT id FROM grouplist)\n" +
-        "      AND \n" +
-        "           (SELECT count(*)\n" +
-        "        FROM dataverserole\n" +
-        "        WHERE dataverserole.id = roleassignment.role_id and (dataverserole.permissionbits & @PERMISSIONBIT !=0)) > 0\n" +
+        "      WHERE EXISTS (SELECT id FROM grouplist WHERE id = explicitgroup_explicitgroup.explicitgroup_id)\n" +
+        "      AND EXISTS (SELECT id FROM dataverserole\n" +
+        "                  WHERE dataverserole.id = roleassignment.role_id and (dataverserole.permissionbits & @PERMISSIONBIT !=0))\n" +
         "      )\n" +
         "    )\n" +
         "  ) UNION (\n" +
-        "    SELECT definitionpoint_id \n" +
+        "    SELECT definitionpoint_id\n" +
         "    FROM roleassignment\n" +
         "    WHERE roleassignment.assigneeidentifier = (\n" +
         "      SELECT CONCAT('@', authenticateduser.useridentifier)\n" +
-        "      FROM authenticateduser \n" +
+        "      FROM authenticateduser\n" +
         "      WHERE authenticateduser.id = @USERID)\n" +
-        "        AND \n" +
-        "           (SELECT count(*)\n" +
-        "        FROM dataverserole\n" +
-        "        WHERE dataverserole.id = roleassignment.role_id and (dataverserole.permissionbits & @PERMISSIONBIT !=0)) > 0\n" +
+        "        AND EXISTS (SELECT id FROM dataverserole\n" +
+        "                    WHERE dataverserole.id = roleassignment.role_id and (dataverserole.permissionbits & @PERMISSIONBIT !=0))\n" +
         "  )\n" +
         ")";
     /**