diff --git a/app/controllers/access_permissions/projects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/access_permissions/projects_controller.rb
index 03759700f..ad2fd52d5 100644
--- a/app/controllers/access_permissions/projects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/access_permissions/projects_controller.rb
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ module AccessPermissions
         end
       rescue ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid => e
         Rails.logger.error e.message
-        errors = @project.errors ? @project.errors&.map(&:message)&.join(',') : e.message
+        errors = @project.errors.present? ? @project.errors&.map(&:message)&.join(',') : e.message
         render json: { flash: errors }, status: :unprocessable_entity
         raise ActiveRecord::Rollback
       end
diff --git a/app/controllers/access_permissions/protocols_controller.rb b/app/controllers/access_permissions/protocols_controller.rb
index 1d0f08dce..54de7353b 100644
--- a/app/controllers/access_permissions/protocols_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/access_permissions/protocols_controller.rb
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ module AccessPermissions
 
       rescue ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid => e
         Rails.logger.error e.message
-        errors = @protocol.errors ? @protocol.errors&.map(&:message)&.join(',') : e.message
+        errors = @protocol.errors.present? ? @protocol.errors&.map(&:message)&.join(',') : e.message
         render json: { flash: errors }, status: :unprocessable_entity
         raise ActiveRecord::Rollback
       end
diff --git a/app/controllers/steps_controller.rb b/app/controllers/steps_controller.rb
index 431f37c53..60b9c5695 100644
--- a/app/controllers/steps_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/steps_controller.rb
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class StepsController < ApplicationController
     )
 
     @step = @protocol.insert_step(@step, params[:position])
-    if @protocol.in_repository? && @protocol.errors
+    if @protocol.in_repository? && @protocol.errors.present?
       return render json: { error: @protocol.errors }, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class StepsController < ApplicationController
       end
       render json: @step, serializer: StepSerializer, user: current_user
     else
-      render json: @protocol.errors ? { errors: @protocol.errors } : {}, status: :unprocessable_entity
+      render json: @protocol.errors.present? ? { errors: @protocol.errors } : {}, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
   end