diff --git a/app/controllers/api/base_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/base_controller.rb
index 568b3f9a4..05fd722ca 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/base_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/base_controller.rb
@@ -154,8 +154,11 @@ def require_user!
   def require_mammoth!
     header = request.headers['Authorization']
     header = header.split.last if header
+    unless header
+      Rails.logger.warn { "NO HEADER PROVIDED DECODE #{request}" }
+      render json: { error: 'This method requires an authenticated user' }, status: 422
+    end
     @decoded = JsonToken.decode(header)
-    Rails.logger.info { "DECODE #{@decode}" }
     @decoded
   end