diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/importer/external/crossref/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/importer/external/crossref/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceImpl.java
index 7dde330b27e..71b088ff162 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/importer/external/crossref/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/importer/external/crossref/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceImpl.java
@@ -162,7 +162,9 @@ public List<ImportRecord> call() throws Exception {
             Iterator<JsonNode> nodes = jsonNode.at("/message/items").iterator();
             while (nodes.hasNext()) {
                 JsonNode node = nodes.next();
-                results.add(transformSourceRecords(node.toString()));
+                if (!node.isMissingNode()) {
+                    results.add(transformSourceRecords(node.toString()));
+                }
             }
             return results;
         }
@@ -196,7 +198,9 @@ public List<ImportRecord> call() throws Exception {
             String responseString = liveImportClient.executeHttpGetRequest(1000, uriBuilder.toString(), params);
             JsonNode jsonNode = convertStringJsonToJsonNode(responseString);
             JsonNode messageNode = jsonNode.at("/message");
-            results.add(transformSourceRecords(messageNode.toString()));
+            if (!messageNode.isMissingNode()) {
+                results.add(transformSourceRecords(messageNode.toString()));
+            }
             return results;
         }
     }
@@ -250,7 +254,9 @@ public List<ImportRecord> call() throws Exception {
             Iterator<JsonNode> nodes = jsonNode.at("/message/items").iterator();
             while (nodes.hasNext()) {
                 JsonNode node = nodes.next();
-                results.add(transformSourceRecords(node.toString()));
+                if (!node.isMissingNode()) {
+                    results.add(transformSourceRecords(node.toString()));
+                }
             }
             return results;
         }
@@ -333,4 +339,4 @@ public void setUrl(String url) {
         this.url = url;
     }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceIT.java b/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceIT.java
index 72524709ec6..31c22692f00 100644
--- a/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceIT.java
+++ b/dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceIT.java
@@ -48,6 +48,24 @@ public class CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceIT extends AbstractLiveImportInt
     @Autowired
     private CrossRefImportMetadataSourceServiceImpl crossRefServiceImpl;
 
+    @Test
+    public void crossRefImportMetadataGetNoRecordsTest() throws Exception {
+        context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
+        CloseableHttpClient originalHttpClient = liveImportClientImpl.getHttpClient();
+        CloseableHttpClient httpClient = Mockito.mock(CloseableHttpClient.class);
+        try {
+            liveImportClientImpl.setHttpClient(httpClient);
+            CloseableHttpResponse response = mockResponse("" , 404, "Not Found");
+            when(httpClient.execute(ArgumentMatchers.any())).thenReturn(response);
+
+            context.restoreAuthSystemState();
+            Collection<ImportRecord> recordsImported = crossRefServiceImpl.getRecords("test query", 0, 2);
+            assertEquals(0, recordsImported.size());
+        } finally {
+            liveImportClientImpl.setHttpClient(originalHttpClient);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void crossRefImportMetadataGetRecordsTest() throws Exception {
         context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();