diff --git a/view/common/wordpress-menu.phtml b/view/common/wordpress-menu.phtml
index 9b9041b..b53d089 100644
--- a/view/common/wordpress-menu.phtml
+++ b/view/common/wordpress-menu.phtml
@@ -10,35 +10,60 @@ $items = new ArrayObject;
 $items[0] = new ArrayObject(); // top level menu items go here
 
 if ($wordpress_endpoint) {
-  $client = new Client($wordpress_endpoint);
-  $client->setOptions(array("timeout"=>1));
-  $response = $client->send();
-  $response_data = json_decode($response->getBody());
-
-  if (!$response->isClientError() && $response_data) {
-    foreach ($response_data as $menu_item) {
-      $lowered_title = strtolower($menu_item->title);
-      $item_url = $menu_item->url;
-      if ($lowered_title == 'login') { // manipulate login url
-        $item_url = "/login";
+  try {
+    $client = new Client($wordpress_endpoint);
+    $client->setOptions(array("timeout"=>1));
+    $response = $client->send();
+  }
+  catch (exception $e) {
+    $response = null;
+  }
+  if ($response) {
+    $response_data = json_decode($response->getBody());
+    if (!$response->isClientError() && $response_data) {
+      foreach ($response_data as $menu_item) {
+        $lowered_title = strtolower($menu_item->title);
+        $item_url = $menu_item->url;
+        if ($lowered_title == 'login') { // manipulate login url
+          $item_url = "/login";
+        }
+        $item_title = $menu_item->title;
+        if ($lowered_title == 'collections') { // change Collections item
+          $item_title = "Project";
+          $item_url = $wordpress_site;
+        }
+        $item = [
+          "id" => $menu_item->ID,
+          "title" => $item_title,
+          "url" => $item_url
+        ];
+        if (!array_key_exists($menu_item->menu_item_parent, $items)) {
+          $items[$menu_item->menu_item_parent] = new ArrayObject();
+        }
+        $items[$menu_item->menu_item_parent][$menu_item->ID] =$item;
       }
-      $item_title = $menu_item->title;
-      if ($lowered_title == 'collections') { // change Collections item
-        $item_title = "Project";
-        $item_url = $wordpress_site;
-      }
-      $item = [
-        "id" => $menu_item->ID,
-        "title" => $item_title,
-        "url" => $item_url
-      ];
-      if (!array_key_exists($menu_item->menu_item_parent, $items)) {
-        $items[$menu_item->menu_item_parent] = new ArrayObject();
-      }
-      $items[$menu_item->menu_item_parent][$menu_item->ID] =$item;
     }
   }
 }
+
+if (count($items[0]) == 0) {
+  // we did not retrieve a menu from the wordpress site
+  // let's create a default menu
+  if ($wordpress_site) {
+    $project_item = [
+      "id" => 2,
+      "title" => "Project",
+      "url" => $wordpress_site
+    ];
+    $items[0][2] = $project_item;
+  }
+  $login_item = [
+    "id" => 1,
+    "title" => "Login",
+    "url" => "/login"
+  ];
+  $items[0][1] = $login_item;
+}
 //print_r($items);
 
 if (!function_exists('render_menu')) {
@@ -55,8 +80,7 @@ if (!function_exists('render_menu')) {
     echo '</ul>' . PHP_EOL;
   }
 }
-if (count($items[0]) > 0) {
-  render_menu($items, 0);
-}
+
+render_menu($items, 0);
 
 ?>