diff --git a/controllers/serveController.js b/controllers/serveController.js
index 4017bd33..3d068994 100644
--- a/controllers/serveController.js
+++ b/controllers/serveController.js
@@ -5,15 +5,19 @@ const getAllFreePublicClaims = require('../helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicCla
 const isFreePublicClaim = require('../helpers/functions/isFreePublicClaim.js');
 
 function updateFileIfNeeded (uri, claimName, claimId, localOutpoint, localHeight) {
-  logger.debug(`A mysql record was found for ${claimId}`);
-  logger.debug('initiating resolve on claim to check outpoint');
+  logger.debug(`A mysql record was found for ${claimName}:${claimId}. Initiating resolve to check outpoint.`);
   // 1. resolve claim
   lbryApi
     .resolveUri(uri)
     .then(result => {
+      // check to make sure the result is a claim
+      if (!result.claim) {
+        logger.debug('resolve did not return a claim');
+        return;
+      }
       // logger.debug('resolved result:', result);
-      const resolvedOutpoint = `${result[uri].claim.txid}:${result[uri].claim.nout}`;
-      const resolvedHeight = result[uri].claim.height;
+      const resolvedOutpoint = `${result.claim.txid}:${result.claim.nout}`;
+      const resolvedHeight = result.claim.height;
       logger.debug('database outpoint:', localOutpoint);
       logger.debug('resolved outpoint:', resolvedOutpoint);
       // 2. if the outpoint's match, no further work needed
@@ -107,6 +111,11 @@ module.exports = {
       // 1. get the top free, public claims
       getAllFreePublicClaims(claimName)
         .then(freePublicClaimList => {
+          // check to make sure some claims were found
+          if (!freePublicClaimList) {
+            resolve(null);
+            return;
+          }
           const name = freePublicClaimList[0].name;
           const claimId = freePublicClaimList[0].claim_id;
           const uri = `${name}#${claimId}`;
@@ -115,7 +124,7 @@ module.exports = {
           db.File
             .findOne({ where: { name, claimId } })
             .then(claim => {
-              // 3. if a matching claim_id is found locally, serve it
+              // 3. if a matching record is found locally, serve it
               if (claim) {
                 // serve the file
                 resolve(claim.dataValues);
@@ -157,12 +166,18 @@ module.exports = {
             lbryApi
               .resolveUri(uri)
               .then(result => {
+                // check to make sure the result is a claim
+                if (!result.claim) {
+                  logger.debug('resolve did not return a claim');
+                  resolve(null);
+                  return;
+                }
                 // 4. check to see if the claim is free & public
-                if (isFreePublicClaim(result[uri].claim)) {
+                if (isFreePublicClaim(result.claim)) {
                   // 5. get claim and serve
-                  getClaimAndHandleResponse(uri, result[uri].claim.height, resolve, reject);
+                  getClaimAndHandleResponse(uri, result.claim.height, resolve, reject);
                 } else {
-                  reject('NO_FREE_PUBLIC_CLAIMS');
+                  reject(null);
                 }
               })
               .catch(error => {
diff --git a/controllers/statsController.js b/controllers/statsController.js
index 0e736d66..0cd3da95 100644
--- a/controllers/statsController.js
+++ b/controllers/statsController.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const googleApiKey = config.get('AnalyticsConfig.GoogleId');
 
 module.exports = {
   postToStats: (action, url, ipAddress, result) => {
-    logger.silly('creating record for statistics db');
+    logger.silly(`creating ${action} record for statistics db`);
     // make sure the result is a string
     if (result && (typeof result !== 'string')) {
       result = result.toString();
diff --git a/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js b/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js
index 0f9c30a2..58d35157 100644
--- a/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js
+++ b/helpers/functions/getAllFreePublicClaims.js
@@ -34,20 +34,19 @@ module.exports = claimName => {
     lbryApi
       .getClaimsList(claimName)
       .then(({ claims }) => {
-        const claimsList = claims;
-        logger.debug(`Number of claims: ${claimsList.length}`);
+        logger.debug(`Number of claims: ${claims.length}`);
         // return early if no claims were found
-        if (claimsList.length === 0) {
-          reject('NO_CLAIMS');
+        if (claims.length === 0) {
           logger.debug('exiting due to lack of claims');
+          resolve(null);
           return;
         }
         // filter the claims to return only free, public claims
-        const freePublicClaims = filterForFreePublicClaims(claimsList);
+        const freePublicClaims = filterForFreePublicClaims(claims);
         // return early if no free, public claims were found
         if (!freePublicClaims || freePublicClaims.length === 0) {
-          reject('NO_FREE_PUBLIC_CLAIMS');
           logger.debug('exiting due to lack of free or public claims');
+          resolve(null);
           return;
         }
         // order the claims
diff --git a/helpers/libraries/errorHandlers.js b/helpers/libraries/errorHandlers.js
index 45264a86..4d922c3b 100644
--- a/helpers/libraries/errorHandlers.js
+++ b/helpers/libraries/errorHandlers.js
@@ -4,10 +4,7 @@ const { postToStats } = require('../../controllers/statsController.js');
 module.exports = {
   handleRequestError (action, originalUrl, ip, error, res) {
     logger.error('Request Error >>', error);
-    if (error === 'NO_CLAIMS' || error === 'NO_FREE_PUBLIC_CLAIMS') {
-      postToStats(action, originalUrl, ip, 'success');
-      res.status(307).render('noClaims');
-    } else if (error.response) {
+    if (error.response) {
       postToStats(action, originalUrl, ip, error.response.data.error.messsage);
       res.status(error.response.status).send(error.response.data.error.message);
     } else if (error.code === 'ECONNREFUSED') {
diff --git a/helpers/libraries/lbryApi.js b/helpers/libraries/lbryApi.js
index 026e1eee..b240b6c5 100644
--- a/helpers/libraries/lbryApi.js
+++ b/helpers/libraries/lbryApi.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ module.exports = {
             reject(data.result[uri].error);
             return;
           }
-          resolve(data.result);
+          resolve(data.result[uri]);
         })
         .catch(error => {
           reject(error);
diff --git a/routes/serve-routes.js b/routes/serve-routes.js
index cfbf11a3..f6ecb35a 100644
--- a/routes/serve-routes.js
+++ b/routes/serve-routes.js
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ module.exports = (app) => {
     serveController
       .getClaimByClaimId(params.name, params.claim_id)
       .then(fileInfo => {
+        // check to make sure a file was found
+        if (!fileInfo) {
+          res.status(307).render('noClaims');
+          return;
+        }
         postToStats('serve', originalUrl, ip, 'success');
         serveFile(fileInfo, res);
       })
@@ -61,6 +66,11 @@ module.exports = (app) => {
     serveController
       .getClaimByName(params.name)
       .then(fileInfo => {
+        // check to make sure a file was found
+        if (!fileInfo) {
+          res.status(307).render('noClaims');
+          return;
+        }
         postToStats('serve', originalUrl, ip, 'success');
         serveFile(fileInfo, res);
       })
diff --git a/routes/show-routes.js b/routes/show-routes.js
index 945fc162..5e54c9b9 100644
--- a/routes/show-routes.js
+++ b/routes/show-routes.js
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ module.exports = (app) => {
     // get and render the content
     getAllClaims(params.name)
       .then(orderedFreePublicClaims => {
+        if (!orderedFreePublicClaims) {
+          res.status(307).render('noClaims');
+          return;
+        }
         postToStats('show', originalUrl, ip, 'success');
         res.status(200).render('allClaims', { claims: orderedFreePublicClaims });
       })