Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/LoginRequestLtiServlet.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rdcb3b94d9880535cd0c166204280928a8741faaf -r290f69ec4bba91e9bc91247e7633f44bd8dc0e5c
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/LoginRequestLtiServlet.java	(.../LoginRequestLtiServlet.java)	(revision dcb3b94d9880535cd0c166204280928a8741faaf)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/LoginRequestLtiServlet.java	(.../LoginRequestLtiServlet.java)	(revision 290f69ec4bba91e9bc91247e7633f44bd8dc0e5c)
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.integration.service.IntegrationService;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.integration.util.IntegrationConstants;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.integration.util.LtiUtils;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.lesson.Lesson;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.lesson.service.ILessonService;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.usermanagement.service.IUserManagementService;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.util.CentralConstants;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.util.HashUtil;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.util.WebUtil;
@@ -62,6 +65,10 @@
 
     @Autowired
     private IntegrationService integrationService = null;
+    @Autowired
+    private ILessonService lessonService;
+    @Autowired
+    private IUserManagementService userManagementService;
 
     private final String DEFAULT_FIRST_NAME = "John";
     private final String DEFAULT_LAST_NAME = "Doe";
@@ -167,8 +174,6 @@
 	} else if (StringUtils.isBlank(lastName)) {
 	    lastName = " ";
 	}
-	
-	ExtServerLessonMap lesson = integrationService.getLtiConsumerLesson(consumerKey, resourceLinkId);
 
 	//Determine method based on the "role" parameter. Author roles can be either LTI standard ones or tool consumer's custom ones set
 	//In case of ContentItemSelectionRequest user must still be a stuff member in order to create a lesson.
@@ -178,8 +183,20 @@
 		? IntegrationConstants.METHOD_AUTHOR
 		: IntegrationConstants.METHOD_LEARNER_STRICT_AUTHENTICATION;
 
-	//provide empty lessonId in case of learner accesses LTI link before teacher authored it
-	String lessonId = lesson == null ? "" : lesson.getLessonId().toString();
+	ExtServerLessonMap extLessonMap = integrationService.getLtiConsumerLesson(consumerKey, resourceLinkId);
+	if (extLessonMap == null) {
+	    //if deep linking was used to create the lesson and it's accessed for the first time, try to get lessonId as "custom_lessonid" parameter
+	    Long customLessonId = WebUtil.readLongParam(request, "custom_lessonid", true);
+	    boolean isContentItemSelection = WebUtil.readBooleanParam(request, "custom_iscontentitemselection", false);
+	    if (isContentItemSelection && customLessonId != null) {
+		//update its ExtServerLesson's resourceLinkId for the first time
+		extLessonMap = integrationService.getExtServerLessonMap(customLessonId);
+		extLessonMap.setResourceLinkId(resourceLinkId);
+		userManagementService.save(extLessonMap);
+	    }
+	}
+	//lessonId would be empty in case learner accesses LTI link before teacher authored it
+	String lessonId = extLessonMap == null ? "" : extLessonMap.getLessonId().toString();
 
 	String timestamp = String.valueOf(System.currentTimeMillis());
 
Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/controller/LtiController.java
===================================================================
diff -u -ra95da9a25304bdc449188c818764e1a40a982042 -r290f69ec4bba91e9bc91247e7633f44bd8dc0e5c
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/controller/LtiController.java	(.../LtiController.java)	(revision a95da9a25304bdc449188c818764e1a40a982042)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/controller/LtiController.java	(.../LtiController.java)	(revision 290f69ec4bba91e9bc91247e7633f44bd8dc0e5c)
@@ -132,8 +132,7 @@
 	    Integer currentOrganisationId = currentOrgMap.getOrganisation().getOrganisationId();
 
 	    //check if the new lesson should be created after course copy, that potentially has happened on LMS side;
-	    //(we can detect it by comparing orgId of the custom_lessonid's organisation and CONTEXT_ID's one).
-	    //Otherwise this is the case of a first call after deep linking was used, and thus we need to update resourceLinkId, which was empty previously. 
+	    //(we can detect it by comparing orgId of the custom_lessonid's organisation and CONTEXT_ID's one). 
 	    boolean isLessonCopyRequired = lesson.getOrganisation() != null
 		    && !lesson.getOrganisation().getOrganisationId().equals(currentOrganisationId);
 	    if (isLessonCopyRequired) {
@@ -146,15 +145,11 @@
 		Long newLessonId = monitoringService.cloneLesson(lesson.getLessonId(), creatorId, true, true, null, null,
 			currentOrgMap.getOrganisation());
 		// store information which extServer has started the lesson
-		extLessonMap = integrationService.createExtServerLessonMap(newLessonId, extServer);	
-            
-	    } else {
-		//support for ContentItemSelectionRequest. If lesson was created during such request, update its ExtServerLesson's resourceLinkId for the first time
-		extLessonMap = integrationService.getExtServerLessonMap(customLessonId);
-	    }
+		extLessonMap = integrationService.createExtServerLessonMap(newLessonId, extServer);
 
-	    extLessonMap.setResourceLinkId(resourceLinkId);
-	    userManagementService.save(extLessonMap);
+		extLessonMap.setResourceLinkId(resourceLinkId);
+		userManagementService.save(extLessonMap);
+	    }
 	}
 
 	//update lessonFinishCallbackUrl. We store it one time during the very first call to LAMS and it stays the same all the time afterwards