diff --git a/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/checkChannelAvailability.js b/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/checkChannelAvailability.js
index 3c5d78b5..3261c63f 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/checkChannelAvailability.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/checkChannelAvailability.js
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@ const db = require('../../../../models');
 const checkChannelAvailability = (name) => {
   return db.Channel
     .findAll({
-      where: { channelName: name },
+      where: {
+        channelName: name,
+      },
     })
     .then(result => {
-      if (result.length >= 1) {
-        throw new Error('That channel has already been claimed');
-      }
-      return name;
+      return (result.length <= 0);
     })
     .catch(error => {
       throw error;
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/index.js b/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/index.js
index ae2a3807..dace8e01 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/channel/availability/index.js
@@ -8,12 +8,29 @@ const { handleErrorResponse } = require('../../../utils/errorHandlers.js');
 
 */
 
+function addAtSymbolIfNecessary (name) {
+  if (name.substring(0,1) !== '@') {
+    return `@${name}`;
+  }
+  return name;
+}
+
 const channelAvailability = ({ ip, originalUrl, params: { name } }, res) => {
   const gaStartTime = Date.now();
+  name = addAtSymbolIfNecessary(name);
   checkChannelAvailability(name)
-    .then(availableName => {
-      res.status(200).json(availableName);
-      sendGATimingEvent('end-to-end', 'claim name availability', name, gaStartTime, Date.now());
+    .then(isAvailable => {
+      let responseObject = {
+        success: true,
+        data: isAvailable,
+      };
+      if (isAvailable) {
+        responseObject['message'] = `${name} is available`
+      } else {
+        responseObject['message'] = `${name} is already in use`
+      }
+      res.status(200).json(responseObject);
+      sendGATimingEvent('end-to-end', 'channel name availability', name, gaStartTime, Date.now());
     })
     .catch(error => {
       handleErrorResponse(originalUrl, ip, error, res);
diff --git a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js
index c4f4501a..68c31056 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/checkClaimAvailability.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const db = require('../../../../models/index');
+const db = require('../../../../models');
 const { publishing: { primaryClaimAddress, additionalClaimAddresses } } = require('../../../../../config/siteConfig.js');
 const Sequelize = require('sequelize');
 const Op = Sequelize.Op;
@@ -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..da982e8f 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/api/claim/availability/index.js
@@ -11,8 +11,17 @@ 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 url is already in use`
+      }
+      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);
diff --git a/server/controllers/assets/utils/serveFile.js b/server/controllers/assets/utils/serveFile.js
index ab3c167a..aa0f2e34 100644
--- a/server/controllers/assets/utils/serveFile.js
+++ b/server/controllers/assets/utils/serveFile.js
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ const serveFile = ({ filePath, fileType }, res) => {
       'Content-Type'          : fileType || 'image/jpeg',
     },
   };
-  res.status(200).sendFile(filePath, sendFileOptions);
+  res.status(200).sendFile(filePath, sendFileOptions, (error) => {
+    if (error) {
+      logger.warn(error);
+      res.status(404).send();
+    }
+  });
 };
 
 module.exports = serveFile;
diff --git a/server/controllers/auth/logout/index.js b/server/controllers/auth/logout/index.js
index 13d945b1..e79ee7c0 100644
--- a/server/controllers/auth/logout/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/auth/logout/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 const logout = (req, res) => {
   req.logout();
-  res.status(200).json({success: true, message: 'you successfully logged out'});
+  const responseObject = {
+    success: true,
+    message: 'you successfully logged out'
+  };
+  res.status(200).json(responseObject);
 };
 
 module.exports = logout;
diff --git a/server/controllers/auth/user/index.js b/server/controllers/auth/user/index.js
index 9e776bbd..7cb1bdd0 100644
--- a/server/controllers/auth/user/index.js
+++ b/server/controllers/auth/user/index.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 const user = (req, res) => {
-  if (req.user) {
-    res.status(200).json({success: true, data: req.user});
-  } else {
-    res.status(401).json({success: false, message: 'user is not logged in'});
-  }
+  const responseObject = {
+    success: true,
+    data: req.user,
+  };
+  res.status(200).json(responseObject);
 };
 
 module.exports = user;