diff --git a/api/src/controllers/NotesTitleController.kt b/api/src/controllers/NotesTitleController.kt
index 4fc4b46..27d6c5c 100644
--- a/api/src/controllers/NotesTitleController.kt
+++ b/api/src/controllers/NotesTitleController.kt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import io.ktor.http.HttpStatusCode
 import io.ktor.request.receive
 import io.ktor.response.respond
 import io.ktor.routing.Route
+import io.ktor.routing.Routing
 import io.ktor.routing.get
 import io.ktor.routing.post
 import me.liuwj.ktorm.database.Database
@@ -35,6 +36,22 @@ class NotesTitleController(kodein: Kodein) : AuthCrudController("/notes/{noteTit
             ?: error("")
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Method that returns a [Notes] ID from it's title and the currently logged in user.
+     * returns null if none found
+     */
+    private fun ApplicationCall.requestedNoteId(): Int? {
+        val user = user()
+        val title = noteTitle() ?: error("title missing")
+
+        return db.from(Notes)
+            .select(Notes.id)
+            .where { Notes.userId eq user.id and (Notes.title eq title) }
+            .limit(0, 1)
+            .map { it[Notes.id]!! }
+            .firstOrNull()
+    }
+
     private class PostRequestBody(val tags: List<String>)
 
     private class ChapterDto(val title: String, val content: String)
@@ -47,10 +64,7 @@ class NotesTitleController(kodein: Kodein) : AuthCrudController("/notes/{noteTit
 
             val user = call.user()
 
-            val exists = db.sequenceOf(Notes)
-                .filter { it.userId eq user.id }
-                .filter { it.title eq title }
-                .firstOrNull() != null
+            val exists = call.requestedNoteId() != null
 
             if (exists) {
                 return@post call.respondStatus(HttpStatusCode.Conflict)
@@ -79,15 +93,7 @@ class NotesTitleController(kodein: Kodein) : AuthCrudController("/notes/{noteTit
         }
 
         get {
-            val user = call.user()
-            val title = call.noteTitle() ?: error("title missing")
-
-            val noteId = db.from(Notes)
-                .select(Notes.id)
-                .where { Notes.userId eq user.id and (Notes.title eq title) }
-                .limit(0, 1)
-                .map { it[Notes.id]!! }
-                .firstOrNull()
+            val noteId = call.requestedNoteId()
                 ?: return@get call.respondStatus(HttpStatusCode.NotFound)
 
             val tags = db.from(Tags)