diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/wcm/webproject/WebProjectServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/wcm/webproject/WebProjectServiceImpl.java
index 88ac71cd98..bce89a42e5 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/wcm/webproject/WebProjectServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/wcm/webproject/WebProjectServiceImpl.java
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@ public class WebProjectServiceImpl extends WCMUtil implements WebProjectService
                     // More than one root web projects folder exits
                     throw new AlfrescoRuntimeException("More than one root 'Web Projects' folder exists");
                 }
+                this.webProjectsRootNodeRef = resultSet.getNodeRef(0);
             }
             finally
             {
@@ -464,9 +465,7 @@ public class WebProjectServiceImpl extends WCMUtil implements WebProjectService
                 {
                     resultSet.close();
                 }
-            }
-            
-            this.webProjectsRootNodeRef = resultSet.getNodeRef(0);
+            }            
         }
         
         return this.webProjectsRootNodeRef;