diff --git a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js
index c4f4501a..9440fa86 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js
@@ -18,10 +18,7 @@ const claimAvailability = (name) => {
       },
     })
     .then(result => {
-      if (result.length >= 1) {
-        throw new Error('That claim is already in use');
-      }
-      return name;
+      return (result.length <= 0);
     })
     .catch(error => {
       throw error;
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/index.js b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/index.js
index 1583cb26..210e6033 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/index.js
@@ -11,8 +11,18 @@ const { handleErrorResponse } = require('../../../utils/errorHandlers.js');
 const claimAvailability = ({ ip, originalUrl, params: { name } }, res) => {
   const gaStartTime = Date.now();
   checkClaimAvailability(name)
-    .then(result => {
-      res.status(200).json(result);
+    .then(isAvailable => {
+      let responseObject = {
+        success: true,
+        data: isAvailable,
+      };
+      if (isAvailable) {
+        responseObject['message'] = `That claim name is available`
+      } else {
+        responseObject['message'] = `That name is already in use`
+      }
+      console.log('response object', responseObject);
+      res.status(200).json(responseObject);
       sendGATimingEvent('end-to-end', 'claim name availability', name, gaStartTime, Date.now());
     })
     .catch(error => {
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/claim/data/index.js b/server/controllers/api/claim/data/index.js
index 49361d71..250e9849 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/data/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/data/index.js
@@ -14,9 +14,15 @@ const claimData = ({ ip, originalUrl, body, params }, res) => {
   db.Claim.resolveClaim(claimName, claimId)
     .then(claimInfo => {
       if (!claimInfo) {
-        return res.status(404).json({success: false, message: 'No claim could be found'});
+        return res.status(404).json({
+          success: false,
+          message: 'No claim could be found'
+        });
       }
-      res.status(200).json({success: true, data: claimInfo});
+      res.status(200).json({
+        success: true,
+        data: claimInfo
+      });
     })
     .catch(error => {
       handleErrorResponse(originalUrl, ip, error, res);