diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/imageannotation_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/imageannotation_module.py
index b7354e5e88..db4572c914 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/imageannotation_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/imageannotation_module.py
@@ -108,12 +108,15 @@ class ImageAnnotationModule(AnnotatableFields, XModule):
 
         self.instructions = self._extract_instructions(xmltree)
         self.openseadragonjson = html_to_text(etree.tostring(xmltree.find('json'), encoding='unicode'))
-        self.user = ""
+        self.user_email = ""
         self.is_course_staff = False
         if self.runtime.get_user_role() in ['instructor', 'staff']:
             self.is_course_staff = True
         if self.runtime.get_real_user is not None:
-            self.user = self.runtime.get_real_user(self.runtime.anonymous_student_id).email
+            try:
+                self.user_email = self.runtime.get_real_user(self.runtime.anonymous_student_id).email
+            except:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                self.user_email = _("No email address found.")
 
     def _extract_instructions(self, xmltree):
         """ Removes <instructions> from the xmltree and returns them as a string, otherwise None. """
@@ -124,7 +127,7 @@ class ImageAnnotationModule(AnnotatableFields, XModule):
         context = {
             'display_name': self.display_name_with_default,
             'instructions_html': self.instructions,
-            'token': retrieve_token(self.user, self.annotation_token_secret),
+            'token': retrieve_token(self.user_email, self.annotation_token_secret),
             'tag': self.instructor_tags,
             'openseadragonjson': self.openseadragonjson,
             'annotation_storage': self.annotation_storage_url,
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/textannotation_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/textannotation_module.py
index 58ed8b73bb..761585316f 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/textannotation_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/textannotation_module.py
@@ -107,7 +107,10 @@ class TextAnnotationModule(AnnotatableFields, XModule):
         if self.runtime.get_user_role() in ['instructor', 'staff']:
             self.is_course_staff = True
         if self.runtime.get_real_user is not None:
-            self.user_email = self.runtime.get_real_user(self.runtime.anonymous_student_id).email
+            try:
+                self.user_email = self.runtime.get_real_user(self.runtime.anonymous_student_id).email
+            except:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                self.user_email = _("No email address found.")
 
     def _extract_instructions(self, xmltree):
         """ Removes <instructions> from the xmltree and returns them as a string, otherwise None. """
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/videoannotation_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/videoannotation_module.py
index 2887867f70..7825f6417f 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/videoannotation_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/videoannotation_module.py
@@ -107,7 +107,10 @@ class VideoAnnotationModule(AnnotatableFields, XModule):
         if self.runtime.get_user_role() in ['instructor', 'staff']:
             self.is_course_staff = True
         if self.runtime.get_real_user is not None:
-            self.user_email = self.runtime.get_real_user(self.runtime.anonymous_student_id).email
+            try:
+                self.user_email = self.runtime.get_real_user(self.runtime.anonymous_student_id).email
+            except:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                self.user_email = _("No email address found.")
 
     def _extract_instructions(self, xmltree):
         """ Removes <instructions> from the xmltree and returns them as a string, otherwise None. """