diff --git a/app/pipes.go b/app/pipes.go
index 8da9e9431..6bb5742f6 100644
--- a/app/pipes.go
+++ b/app/pipes.go
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ func checkPipe(pr PipeRouter, end End) CtxHandlerFunc {
 		id := mux.Vars(r)["pipeID"]
 		_, _, ok := pr.Get(ctx, id, end)
 		if !ok {
-			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
 			return
 		}
-		defer pr.Release(ctx, id, end)
+		pr.Release(ctx, id, end)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/utils/web-api-utils.js b/client/app/scripts/utils/web-api-utils.js
index deacca699..3fd3a979d 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/utils/web-api-utils.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/utils/web-api-utils.js
@@ -218,17 +218,17 @@ export function getPipeStatus(pipeId) {
   reqwest({
     method: 'GET',
     url: url,
-    success: function(res) {
-      log('ERROR: expected responses: [200, 404]. Got:', res);
-    },
     error: function(err) {
+      log('ERROR: unexpected response:', err);
+    },
+    success: function(res) {
       const status = {
         200: 'PIPE_ALIVE',
-        404: 'PIPE_DELETED'
-      }[err.status];
+        204: 'PIPE_DELETED'
+      }[res.status];
 
       if (!status) {
-        log('Unexpected pipe status:', err.status);
+        log('Unexpected pipe status:', res.status);
         return;
       }