diff --git a/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex b/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex
index cf41c2575..fafd88cc8 100644
--- a/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller.ex
@@ -9,6 +9,21 @@ defmodule AskWeb.ShortLinkController do
       ShortLink
       |> Repo.get_by(hash: hash)
 
+    resolve_link(conn, link)
+  end
+
+  # Copied from Plug.Adapters.Cowboy.Conn
+  defp split_path(path) 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)
@@ -33,10 +48,4 @@ defmodule AskWeb.ShortLinkController do
 
     AskWeb.Endpoint.call(conn, [])
   end
-
-  # Copied from Plug.Adapters.Cowboy.Conn
-  defp split_path(path) do
-    segments = :binary.split(path, "/", [:global])
-    for segment <- segments, segment != "", do: segment
-  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 e687c1cd9..481733d7b 100644
--- a/test/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/ask_web/controllers/short_link_controller_test.exs
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ defmodule AskWeb.ShortLinkControllerTest do
     {:ok, conn: conn, user: user}
   end
 
+  test "return 404 for an invalid link", %{
+    conn: conn
+  } do
+    conn = get(conn, short_link_path(conn, :access, "invalid-link"))
+
+    assert response(conn, 404) == "Link not found"
+  end
+
   test "render surveys if the link specifies that endpoint even if there is no current user", %{
     conn: conn,
     user: user