diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core.io.rest.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/io/rest/core/internal/JSONResponseExceptionMapper.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core.io.rest.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/io/rest/core/internal/JSONResponseExceptionMapper.java
index f86681ccb..8a2dcd4a1 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core.io.rest.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/io/rest/core/internal/JSONResponseExceptionMapper.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core.io.rest.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/io/rest/core/internal/JSONResponseExceptionMapper.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ package org.openhab.core.io.rest.core.internal;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import javax.ws.rs.NotFoundException;
 import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
 import javax.ws.rs.ext.ExceptionMapper;
 
@@ -50,6 +51,12 @@ public class JSONResponseExceptionMapper implements ExceptionMapper<Exception> {
             logger.debug("Failed writing HTTP response, since other side closed the connection", e);
             // Returning null results in a Response.Status.NO_CONTENT response.
             return null;
+        } else if (e instanceof NotFoundException) {
+            // we catch this exception to avoid confusion errors in the log file, since this is not any error situation
+            // see https://github.com/openhab/openhab-distro/issues/1616
+            logger.debug("Requested resource not (yet) found", e);
+            // Returning null results in a Response.Status.NO_CONTENT response.
+            return Response.status(Response.Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
         } else {
             logger.error("Unexpected exception occurred while processing REST request.", e);
             return delegate.toResponse(e);