diff --git a/grails-app/assets/javascripts/profileEditor/controllers/AdminController.js b/grails-app/assets/javascripts/profileEditor/controllers/AdminController.js
index 9239bcd0..23760c92 100644
--- a/grails-app/assets/javascripts/profileEditor/controllers/AdminController.js
+++ b/grails-app/assets/javascripts/profileEditor/controllers/AdminController.js
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ profileEditor.controller('ALAAdminController', function ($http, util, messageSer
                 messageService.success(response.data.resp);
             }
         }, function() {
-            messageService.alert(response.data.error);
+            messageService.alert("Failed to clear cache the job");
         });
     }
 });
diff --git a/grails-app/controllers/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminController.groovy b/grails-app/controllers/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminController.groovy
index 49c63f9b..884070a8 100644
--- a/grails-app/controllers/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminController.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/controllers/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminController.groovy
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package au.org.ala.profile.hub
 import au.org.ala.profile.security.Role
 import au.org.ala.profile.security.Secured
 import au.org.ala.ws.service.WebService
+import net.sf.ehcache.Cache
+import net.sf.ehcache.CacheManager
 import org.apache.http.HttpStatus
 import org.apache.http.entity.ContentType
 
@@ -14,7 +16,11 @@ class AdminController extends BaseController {
     WebService webService
     ProfileService profileService
     GrailsCacheManager grailsCacheManager
-
+    static long ONE_DAY_SECONDS = 86400
+    static String USER_DETAILS_CACHE = "userDetailsCache"
+    static String USER_DETAILS_BY_ID_CACHE = "userDetailsByIdCache"
+    static String USER_LIST_CACHE = "userListCache"
+    static String VOCAB_LIST_CACHE = "vocabListCache"
     @Secured(role = Role.ROLE_ADMIN, opusSpecific = false)
     def index() {
         render view: "admin.gsp"
@@ -122,22 +128,51 @@ class AdminController extends BaseController {
 
     @Secured(role = Role.ROLE_ADMIN, opusSpecific = false)
     def cacheManagement() {
-        def cacheNames = grailsCacheManager.getCacheNames()
+        def cacheNames
+        if (grailsCacheManager == null) {
+            cacheNames = getCacheManager().getCacheNames()
+        } else {
+            cacheNames = grailsCacheManager.getCacheNames()
+        }
         success cacheNames
     }
 
+    private static CacheManager getCacheManager() {
+        CacheManager manager = CacheManager.create()
+        Cache userDetailCache = new Cache(USER_DETAILS_CACHE, 2000, true, false, ONE_DAY_SECONDS, 2)
+        if (!manager.ehcaches.get(USER_DETAILS_CACHE)) {
+            manager.addCache(userDetailCache)
+        }
+        Cache userDetailsByIdCache = new Cache(USER_DETAILS_BY_ID_CACHE, 2000, true, false, ONE_DAY_SECONDS, 2)
+        if (!manager.getEhcache(USER_DETAILS_BY_ID_CACHE)) {
+            manager.addCache(userDetailsByIdCache)
+        }
+        Cache userListCache = new Cache(USER_LIST_CACHE, 2000, true, false, ONE_DAY_SECONDS, 2)
+        if (!manager.getEhcache(USER_LIST_CACHE)) {
+            manager.addCache(userListCache)
+        }
+        Cache vocabListCache = new Cache(VOCAB_LIST_CACHE, 2000, true, false, ONE_DAY_SECONDS, 2)
+        if (!manager.getEhcache(VOCAB_LIST_CACHE)) {
+            manager.addCache(vocabListCache)
+        }
+        return manager
+    }
+
     @Secured(role = Role.ROLE_ADMIN, opusSpecific = false)
     def clearCache() {
         Map result = [:]
         if (params.id) {
-            grailsCacheManager.getCache(params.id).clear()
+            if (grailsCacheManager == null) {
+                getCacheManager().getCache(params.id).remove(params.id)
+            } else {
+                grailsCacheManager.getCache(params.id).clear()
+            }
             result.resp = "Successfully cleared cache - " + params.id
             result.statusCode = HttpStatus.SC_OK
             success result
         } else {
-            result.error = "Failed to clear cache the job"
-            result.statusCode = HttpStatus.SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
-            sendError result
+            var message = "Failed to clear cache the job"
+            sendError(HttpStatus.SC_BAD_REQUEST, message ?:"");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminControllerSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminControllerSpec.groovy
index c23f9592..7c034429 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminControllerSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/profile/hub/AdminControllerSpec.groovy
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@ import spock.lang.Specification
 
 class AdminControllerSpec extends Specification implements ControllerUnitTest<AdminController> {
 
-    AdminController mockAdminController
+    AdminController controller
 
     def setup() {
-        mockAdminController = Mock(AdminController)
+        controller = new AdminController()
     }
 
     def "cache management should display to the admin controller when admin mode"() {
         when:
-        mockAdminController.cacheManagement()
+        controller.cacheManagement()
 
         then:
         assert response.status == HttpStatus.SC_OK
@@ -23,9 +23,18 @@ class AdminControllerSpec extends Specification implements ControllerUnitTest<Ad
     def "clearCache() should return a 200 (OK_REQUEST) if id has been provided"() {
         when:
         params.id = "userDetailsCache"
-        mockAdminController.clearCache()
+        controller.clearCache()
 
         then:
         response.status == HttpStatus.SC_OK
     }
+
+    def "clearCache() should return a 400 (BAD_REQUEST) if id has not been provided"() {
+        when:
+        params.id = ""
+        controller.clearCache()
+
+        then:
+        response.status != HttpStatus.SC_OK
+    }
 }