diff --git a/src/utils/identity.ts b/src/utils/identity.ts
index 665e6d070..3b741793f 100644
--- a/src/utils/identity.ts
+++ b/src/utils/identity.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ export async function changeIdentity(identity: IPerson): Promise<void> {
  * the current identity used
  */
 export async function initializeCurrentActor(
-  identities: IPerson[] | undefined
+  identities: IPerson[] | undefined,
+  rethrow = false
 ): Promise<void> {
   const actorId = localStorage.getItem(AUTH_USER_ACTOR_ID);
   console.debug("Initializing current actor", actorId);
@@ -62,6 +63,10 @@ export async function initializeCurrentActor(
       await changeIdentity(activeIdentity);
     }
   } catch (e) {
-    console.error("Failed to initialize current Actor", e);
+    if (rethrow) {
+      throw e;
+    } else {
+      console.error("Failed to initialize current Actor", e);
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/views/User/LoginView.vue b/src/views/User/LoginView.vue
index 72e12faad..146a7b8f3 100644
--- a/src/views/User/LoginView.vue
+++ b/src/views/User/LoginView.vue
@@ -239,7 +239,13 @@ const loginAction = async (e: Event) => {
       throw new Error("Loading user's identities failed");
     }
 
-    await initializeCurrentActor(currentUserIdentitiesResult.loggedUser.actors);
+    // at some point this function was refactored to log errors rather than
+    // throwing them, which made the catch below useless. The second argument
+    // specifies that errors should be thrown instead of logged
+    await initializeCurrentActor(
+      currentUserIdentitiesResult.loggedUser.actors,
+      true
+    );
 
     // Step 3a following
     const loggedUserLocationResult = await loggedUserLocationPromise;