diff --git a/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/authorization/impl/CanManageMappingsFeature.java b/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/authorization/impl/CanManageMappingsFeature.java
index 75e83860dd4a..37356c8006bf 100644
--- a/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/authorization/impl/CanManageMappingsFeature.java
+++ b/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/authorization/impl/CanManageMappingsFeature.java
@@ -64,14 +64,18 @@ public boolean isAuthorized(Context context, BaseObjectRest object) throws SQLEx
         }
         if (object instanceof ItemRest) {
             Item item = itemService.find(context, UUID.fromString(((ItemRest) object).getUuid()));
-            if (!authorizeService.authorizeActionBoolean(context, item, Constants.WRITE)) {
+            if (item == null || !authorizeService.authorizeActionBoolean(context, item, Constants.WRITE)) {
                 return false;
             }
+            // An orphaned item (e.g. one whose owning collection was lost) has no owning collection.
+            // Guard against it so the feature evaluation does not throw a NullPointerException.
+            Collection owningCollection = item.getOwningCollection();
             try {
                 Optional<Collection> collections = collectionService.findCollectionsWithSubmit(StringUtils.EMPTY,
                                                  context, null, 0, Integer.MAX_VALUE)
                                                 .stream()
-                                                .filter(c -> !c.getID().equals(item.getOwningCollection().getID()))
+                                                .filter(c -> owningCollection == null
+                                                    || !c.getID().equals(owningCollection.getID()))
                                                 .filter(c -> {
                                                     try {
                                                         return collectionService.canEditBoolean(context, c);