diff --git a/pkg/auth/identity.go b/pkg/auth/identity.go
index 4869b72be..73e079609 100644
--- a/pkg/auth/identity.go
+++ b/pkg/auth/identity.go
@@ -43,5 +43,5 @@ func NewSuperUserIdentity() *Identity {
 }
 
 func IsSuperUser(i Identifiable) bool {
-	return superUserID == i.Identity()
+	return i != nil && superUserID == i.Identity()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/auth/identity_context.go b/pkg/auth/identity_context.go
index c0cc13658..b82c58cb3 100644
--- a/pkg/auth/identity_context.go
+++ b/pkg/auth/identity_context.go
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ func SetSuperUserContext(ctx context.Context) context.Context {
 	su := NewSuperUserIdentity()
 
 	ctx = SetIdentityToContext(ctx, su)
-	ctx = SetJwtToContext(ctx, DefaultJwtHandler.Encode(su))
+
+	if DefaultJwtHandler != nil {
+		ctx = SetJwtToContext(ctx, DefaultJwtHandler.Encode(su))
+	}
 
 	return ctx
 }