diff --git a/backend/entityservice/database/insertions.py b/backend/entityservice/database/insertions.py
index e04e1b25..6c123be7 100644
--- a/backend/entityservice/database/insertions.py
+++ b/backend/entityservice/database/insertions.py
@@ -213,6 +213,18 @@ def update_run_mark_failure(conn, run_id):
         cur.execute(sql_query, [run_id])
 
 
+def update_project_mark_all_runs_failed(conn, project_id):
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        sql_query = """
+            UPDATE runs SET
+              state = 'error',
+              time_completed = now()
+            WHERE
+              project = %s
+            """
+        cur.execute(sql_query, [project_id])
+
+
 def mark_project_deleted(db, project_id):
     with db.cursor() as cur:
         sql_query = """
diff --git a/backend/entityservice/tasks/comparing.py b/backend/entityservice/tasks/comparing.py
index f13eba6a..e2f598c8 100644
--- a/backend/entityservice/tasks/comparing.py
+++ b/backend/entityservice/tasks/comparing.py
@@ -135,12 +135,16 @@ def compute_filter_similarity(chunk_info, project_id, run_id, threshold, encodin
     span.log_kv({'event': 'chunks are fetched and deserialized'})
     log.debug("Calculating filter similarity")
     span.log_kv({'size1': chunk_dp1_size, 'size2': chunk_dp2_size})
-    chunk_results = anonlink.concurrency.process_chunk(
-        chunk_info,
-        (chunk_dp1, chunk_dp2),
-        anonlink.similarities.dice_coefficient_accelerated,
-        threshold,
-        k=min(chunk_dp1_size, chunk_dp2_size))
+    try:
+        chunk_results = anonlink.concurrency.process_chunk(
+            chunk_info,
+            (chunk_dp1, chunk_dp2),
+            anonlink.similarities.dice_coefficient_accelerated,
+            threshold,
+            k=min(chunk_dp1_size, chunk_dp2_size))
+    except NotImplementedError as e:
+        log.warning("Encodings couldn't be compared using anonlink.")
+        return
     t3 = time.time()
     span.log_kv({'event': 'similarities calculated'})
 
diff --git a/backend/entityservice/tasks/pre_run_check.py b/backend/entityservice/tasks/pre_run_check.py
index 06e51226..aa231cd6 100644
--- a/backend/entityservice/tasks/pre_run_check.py
+++ b/backend/entityservice/tasks/pre_run_check.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from entityservice.async_worker import celery, logger
 from entityservice.database import DBConn, get_created_runs_and_queue, get_uploaded_encoding_sizes, \
-    get_project_schema_encoding_size, get_project_encoding_size, set_project_encoding_size
+    get_project_schema_encoding_size, get_project_encoding_size, set_project_encoding_size, \
+    update_project_mark_all_runs_failed
 from entityservice.models.run import progress_run_stage as progress_stage
 from entityservice.settings import Config as config
 from entityservice.tasks.base_task import TracedTask
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ def check_for_executable_runs(project_id, parent_span=None):
             check_and_set_project_encoding_size(project_id, conn)
         except ValueError as e:
             log.warning(e.args[0])
-            # todo make sure this can be exposed to user
+            # make sure this error can be exposed to user by marking the run/s as failed
+            update_project_mark_all_runs_failed(conn, project_id)
             return
         new_runs = get_created_runs_and_queue(conn, project_id)
 
@@ -72,4 +74,5 @@ def check_and_set_project_encoding_size(project_id, conn):
             handle_invalid_encoding_data(project_id, dp_id)
         raise ValueError("Encoding size out of configured bounds")
 
-
+    if encoding_size % 8:
+        raise ValueError("Encoding size must be multiple of 8 bytes (64 bits)")