diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index a821bce43..3df01d79f 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -7280,9 +7280,9 @@
 			}
 		},
 		"node_modules/electron-to-chromium": {
-			"version": "1.5.385",
-			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/electron-to-chromium/-/electron-to-chromium-1.5.385.tgz",
-			"integrity": "sha512-78sa/M08MNAYHQfjoWMvOlKQqZ0ElhSm/L5HNUc96VZ3b+KvDVnngFm8sYQy0XrhTRgAhggHr5abA7yTvRdo4Q==",
+			"version": "1.5.387",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/electron-to-chromium/-/electron-to-chromium-1.5.387.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-TaxwufTFDufvPEoXdhwVrA3UdFWBeWGkYoJ1K8ldF1xe6gKfth6iRNS5lTQ5JPNOHdGQm8PT1QYKUqFLCiUefQ==",
 			"dev": true,
 			"license": "ISC"
 		},
@@ -11023,9 +11023,9 @@
 			"license": "MIT"
 		},
 		"node_modules/n3": {
-			"version": "2.1.0",
-			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/n3/-/n3-2.1.0.tgz",
-			"integrity": "sha512-+05H/h40wRyROglcVGrNZAwBu0Nc87luKhiTV95aGBGX1YyITtpwftHwyhT5YoZr4soXJWrzxqC1CHPdGqV63g==",
+			"version": "2.1.1",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/n3/-/n3-2.1.1.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-kqg8ers6Lc+uAmHeS+ycd3b8mC4x8wr8V8Fi6+w7l4hX6b0KZ5bT05Tf49qM2mujwaqZT3+08zcgtXgfxivbVQ==",
 			"license": "MIT",
 			"dependencies": {
 				"buffer": "^6.0.3",
diff --git a/src/lib/preferences.js b/src/lib/preferences.js
index d3238da0c..392ea4712 100644
--- a/src/lib/preferences.js
+++ b/src/lib/preferences.js
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ export function recordSharedPreferences (subject, context) {
 //
 export function recordPersonalDefaults (theClass, context) {
   return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
+    if (!context.me) {
+      resolve(context)
+      return
+    }
     ensureLoadedPreferences(context).then(
       context => {
         if (!context.preferencesFile) {
diff --git a/src/login/login.ts b/src/login/login.ts
index 1304c7d9d..291692900 100644
--- a/src/login/login.ts
+++ b/src/login/login.ts
@@ -1053,7 +1053,11 @@ export function newAppInstance (
  */
 export async function getUserRoles (): Promise<Array<NamedNode>> {
   try {
-    const { me, preferencesFile, preferencesFileError } = await ensureLoadedPreferences({})
+    const me = authn.currentUser()
+    if (!me) {
+      return []
+    }
+    const { preferencesFile, preferencesFileError } = await ensureLoadedPreferences({})
     if (!preferencesFile || preferencesFileError) {
       throw new Error(preferencesFileError)
     }
diff --git a/test/unit/preferences.test.ts b/test/unit/preferences.test.ts
index db1d92a2d..7d80b6051 100644
--- a/test/unit/preferences.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/preferences.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { silenceDebugMessages } from './helpers/debugger'
 import { JSDOM } from 'jsdom'
+vi.mock('../../src/login/login', () => ({
+  ensureLoadedPreferences: vi.fn()
+}))
+
+import * as loginModule from '../../src/login/login'
 import * as Preferences from '../../src/lib/preferences'
 import { sym } from 'rdflib'
 
@@ -64,6 +69,17 @@ describe('Preferences.recordSharedPreferences', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('Preferences.recordPersonalDefaults', () => {
+  it('does not try to load preferences when there is no logged-in user', async () => {
+    const ensureLoadedPreferencesMock = vi.mocked(loginModule.ensureLoadedPreferences)
+
+    const context = { me: null }
+    const result = await Preferences.recordPersonalDefaults(sym('https://test.example/class'), context)
+    expect(result).toBe(context)
+    expect(ensureLoadedPreferencesMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
+
 describe('Preferences.getPreferencesForClass', () => {
   it('exists', () => {
     expect(Preferences.getPreferencesForClass).toBeInstanceOf(Function)