diff --git a/backend/src/services/identity-project/identity-project-service.ts b/backend/src/services/identity-project/identity-project-service.ts
index 8fea80e31..14df0cd4a 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/identity-project/identity-project-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/identity-project/identity-project-service.ts
@@ -380,6 +380,12 @@ export const identityProjectServiceFactory = ({
   }: TGetProjectIdentityByMembershipIdDTO) => {
     const membership = await identityProjectDAL.findOne({ id: identityMembershipId });
 
+    if (!membership) {
+      throw new NotFoundError({
+        message: `Project membership with ID '${identityMembershipId}' not found`
+      });
+    }
+
     const { permission } = await permissionService.getProjectPermission({
       actor,
       actorId,
@@ -389,12 +395,6 @@ export const identityProjectServiceFactory = ({
       actionProjectType: ActionProjectType.Any
     });
 
-    if (!membership) {
-      throw new NotFoundError({
-        message: `Project membership with ID '${identityMembershipId}' not found`
-      });
-    }
-
     ForbiddenError.from(permission).throwUnlessCan(
       ProjectPermissionIdentityActions.Read,
       subject(ProjectPermissionSub.Identity, { identityId: membership.identityId })