diff --git a/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex b/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex
index 6cd73a9b3..fafd88cc8 100644
--- a/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex
@@ -9,34 +9,7 @@ defmodule AskWeb.ShortLinkController do
       ShortLink
       |> Repo.get_by(hash: hash)
 
-    if link do
-      conn =
-        conn
-        |> assign(:skip_auth, true)
-
-      {path, query_string} =
-        case :binary.split(link.target, "?", [:global]) do
-          [path, query_string] -> {path, query_string}
-          [path] -> {path, ""}
-        end
-
-      conn = %{
-        conn
-        | request_path: path,
-          path_info: split_path(path),
-          params: %{},
-          path_params: %{},
-          private: %{},
-          req_headers: [],
-          query_string: query_string,
-          query_params: %Plug.Conn.Unfetched{aspect: :query_params}
-      }
-
-      AskWeb.Endpoint.call(conn, [])
-    else
-      conn
-      |> send_resp(:not_found, "Link not found")
-    end
+    resolve_link(conn, link)
   end
 
   # Copied from Plug.Adapters.Cowboy.Conn
@@ -44,4 +17,35 @@ defmodule AskWeb.ShortLinkController do
     segments = :binary.split(path, "/", [:global])
     for segment <- segments, segment != "", do: segment
   end
+
+  defp resolve_link(conn, nil) do
+    conn
+    |> send_resp(:not_found, "Link not found")
+  end
+
+  defp resolve_link(conn, link) do
+    conn =
+      conn
+      |> assign(:skip_auth, true)
+
+    {path, query_string} =
+      case :binary.split(link.target, "?", [:global]) do
+        [path, query_string] -> {path, query_string}
+        [path] -> {path, ""}
+      end
+
+    conn = %{
+      conn
+      | request_path: path,
+        path_info: split_path(path),
+        params: %{},
+        path_params: %{},
+        private: %{},
+        req_headers: [],
+        query_string: query_string,
+        query_params: %Plug.Conn.Unfetched{aspect: :query_params}
+    }
+
+    AskWeb.Endpoint.call(conn, [])
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller_test.exs b/test/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller_test.exs
index 9507692ec..481733d7b 100644
--- a/test/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller_test.exs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ defmodule AskWeb.ShortLinkControllerTest do
   } do
     conn = get(conn, short_link_path(conn, :access, "invalid-link"))
 
-    assert response(conn, 404)
+    assert response(conn, 404) == "Link not found"
   end
 
   test "render surveys if the link specifies that endpoint even if there is no current user", %{