diff --git a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/domain/Client.java b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/domain/Client.java
index 4cc2c60f8..3af0588c2 100644
--- a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/domain/Client.java
+++ b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/domain/Client.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class Client extends AbstractAuditableCustom<AppUser, Long> {
 		}
 		
 		if (command.isExternalIdChanged()) {
-			 this.externalId = StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(externalId.trim(), null);
+			 this.externalId = StringUtils.defaultIfEmpty(command.getExternalId().trim(), null);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/service/ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl.java b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/service/ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl.java
index e6f35cd64..ff0e2c4c6 100644
--- a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/service/ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl.java
+++ b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosng/platform/client/service/ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl.java
@@ -11,16 +11,22 @@ import org.mifosng.platform.client.domain.NoteRepository;
 import org.mifosng.platform.exceptions.ClientNotFoundException;
 import org.mifosng.platform.exceptions.NoteNotFoundException;
 import org.mifosng.platform.exceptions.OfficeNotFoundException;
+import org.mifosng.platform.exceptions.PlatformDataIntegrityException;
 import org.mifosng.platform.organisation.domain.Office;
 import org.mifosng.platform.organisation.domain.OfficeRepository;
 import org.mifosng.platform.security.PlatformSecurityContext;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;
 
 @Service
 public class ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl implements ClientWritePlatformService {
 
+	private final static Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl.class);
+	
 	private final PlatformSecurityContext context;
 	private final ClientRepository clientRepository;
 	private final OfficeRepository officeRepository;
@@ -50,61 +56,85 @@ public class ClientWritePlatformServiceJpaRepositoryImpl implements ClientWriteP
 		return new EntityIdentifier(client.getId());
 	}
 	
+	/*
+	 * Guaranteed to throw an exception no matter what the data integrity issue is.
+	 */
+	private void handleDataIntegrityIssues(final ClientCommand command, final DataIntegrityViolationException dve)  {
+		
+		Throwable realCause = dve.getMostSpecificCause();
+		if (realCause.getMessage().contains("external_id")) {
+			throw new PlatformDataIntegrityException("error.msg.client.duplicate.externalId", "Client with externalId `"+ command.getExternalId() +"` already exists", "externalId", command.getExternalId());
+		}
+		
+		logger.error(dve.getMessage(), dve);
+		throw new PlatformDataIntegrityException("error.msg.client.unknown.data.integrity.issue", "Unknown data integrity issue with resource.");
+	}
+	
 	@Transactional
 	@Override
 	public Long enrollClient(final ClientCommand command) {
 
-		context.authenticatedUser();
-		
-		ClientCommandValidator validator = new ClientCommandValidator(command);
-		validator.validateForCreate();
-
-		Office clientOffice = this.officeRepository.findOne(command.getOfficeId());
-		if (clientOffice == null) {
-			throw new OfficeNotFoundException(command.getOfficeId());
+		try{
+			context.authenticatedUser();
+			
+			ClientCommandValidator validator = new ClientCommandValidator(command);
+			validator.validateForCreate();
+	
+			Office clientOffice = this.officeRepository.findOne(command.getOfficeId());
+			if (clientOffice == null) {
+				throw new OfficeNotFoundException(command.getOfficeId());
+			}
+			
+			String firstname = command.getFirstname();
+			String lastname = command.getLastname();
+			if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(command.getClientOrBusinessName())) {
+				lastname = command.getClientOrBusinessName();
+				firstname = null;
+			}
+	
+			Client newClient = Client.newClient(clientOffice, firstname, lastname, command.getJoiningDate(), command.getExternalId());
+					
+			this.clientRepository.save(newClient);
+	
+			return newClient.getId();
+		} catch (DataIntegrityViolationException dve) {
+			 handleDataIntegrityIssues(command, dve);
+			 return Long.valueOf(-1);
 		}
-		
-		String firstname = command.getFirstname();
-		String lastname = command.getLastname();
-		if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(command.getClientOrBusinessName())) {
-			lastname = command.getClientOrBusinessName();
-			firstname = null;
-		}
-
-		Client newClient = Client.newClient(clientOffice, firstname, lastname, command.getJoiningDate(), command.getExternalId());
-				
-		this.clientRepository.save(newClient);
-
-		return newClient.getId();
 	}
 	
 	@Transactional
 	@Override
 	public EntityIdentifier updateClientDetails(final ClientCommand command) {
 		
-		context.authenticatedUser();
-		
-		ClientCommandValidator validator = new ClientCommandValidator(command);
-		validator.validateForUpdate();
-		
-		Office clientOffice = null;
-		Long officeId = command.getOfficeId();
-		if (command.isOfficeChanged() && officeId != null) {
-			clientOffice = this.officeRepository.findOne(officeId);
-			if (clientOffice == null) {
-				throw new OfficeNotFoundException(command.getOfficeId());
-			}			
+		try {
+			context.authenticatedUser();
+			
+			ClientCommandValidator validator = new ClientCommandValidator(command);
+			validator.validateForUpdate();
+			
+			Office clientOffice = null;
+			Long officeId = command.getOfficeId();
+			if (command.isOfficeChanged() && officeId != null) {
+				clientOffice = this.officeRepository.findOne(officeId);
+				if (clientOffice == null) {
+					throw new OfficeNotFoundException(command.getOfficeId());
+				}			
+			}
+	
+			Client clientForUpdate = this.clientRepository.findOne(command.getId());
+			if (clientForUpdate == null || clientForUpdate.isDeleted()) {
+				throw new ClientNotFoundException(command.getId());
+			}
+			clientForUpdate.update(clientOffice, command);
+					
+			this.clientRepository.saveAndFlush(clientForUpdate);
+	
+			return new EntityIdentifier(clientForUpdate.getId());
+		} catch (DataIntegrityViolationException dve) {
+			 handleDataIntegrityIssues(command, dve);
+			 return new EntityIdentifier(Long.valueOf(-1));
 		}
-
-		Client clientForUpdate = this.clientRepository.findOne(command.getId());
-		if (clientForUpdate == null || clientForUpdate.isDeleted()) {
-			throw new ClientNotFoundException(command.getId());
-		}
-		clientForUpdate.update(clientOffice, command);
-				
-		this.clientRepository.save(clientForUpdate);
-
-		return new EntityIdentifier(clientForUpdate.getId());
 	}
 	
 	@Transactional