diff --git a/src/controllers/categories.js b/src/controllers/categories.js
index 6810e2ea7e..91f36139e6 100644
--- a/src/controllers/categories.js
+++ b/src/controllers/categories.js
@@ -91,48 +91,54 @@ categoriesController.get = function(req, res, next) {
 
 	async.waterfall([
 		function(next) {
-			categories.getCategoryField(cid, 'disabled', next);
+			async.parallel({
+				exists: function(next) {
+					categories.exists(cid, next);
+				},
+				disabled: function(next) {
+					categories.getCategoryField(cid, 'disabled', next);
+				},
+				privileges: function(next) {
+					privileges.categories.get(cid, uid, next);
+				},
+				userSettings: function(next) {
+					user.getSettings(uid, next);
+				}
+			}, next);
 		},
-		function(disabled, next) {
-			if (parseInt(disabled, 10) === 1) {
-				return next(new Error('[[error:category-disabled]]'));
+		function(results, next) {
+			if (!results.exists || parseInt(results.disabled, 10) === 1) {
+				return notFound(req, res);
 			}
 
-			privileges.categories.get(cid, uid, next);
-		},
-		function (privileges, next) {
-			if (!privileges.read) {
-				return next(new Error('[[error:no-privileges]]'));
+			if (!results.privileges.read) {
+				return notAllowed(req, res);
 			}
 
-			user.getSettings(uid, function(err, settings) {
+			var settings = results.userSettings;
+
+			var topicIndex = 0;
+			if (!settings.usePagination) {
+				topicIndex = Math.max((req.params.topic_index || 1) - (settings.topicsPerPage - 1), 0);
+			} else if (!req.query.page) {
+				var index = Math.max(parseInt((req.params.topic_index || 0), 10), 0);
+				page = Math.ceil((index + 1) / settings.topicsPerPage);
+			}
+
+			var start = (page - 1) * settings.topicsPerPage + topicIndex,
+				end = start + settings.topicsPerPage - 1;
+
+			categories.getCategoryById(cid, start, end, uid, function (err, categoryData) {
 				if (err) {
 					return next(err);
 				}
 
-				var topicIndex = 0;
-				if (!settings.usePagination) {
-					topicIndex = Math.max((req.params.topic_index || 1) - (settings.topicsPerPage - 1), 0);
-				} else if (!req.query.page) {
-					var index = Math.max(parseInt((req.params.topic_index || 0), 10), 0);
-					page = Math.ceil((index + 1) / settings.topicsPerPage);
-				}
-
-				var start = (page - 1) * settings.topicsPerPage + topicIndex,
-					end = start + settings.topicsPerPage - 1;
-
-				categories.getCategoryById(cid, start, end, uid, function (err, categoryData) {
+				categories.getRecentTopicReplies(categoryData.children, uid, function(err) {
 					if (err) {
 						return next(err);
 					}
-
-					categories.getRecentTopicReplies(categoryData.children, uid, function(err) {
-						if (err) {
-							return next(err);
-						}
-						categoryData.privileges = privileges;
-						next(null, categoryData);
-					});
+					categoryData.privileges = results.privileges;
+					next(null, categoryData);
 				});
 			});
 		},
@@ -179,7 +185,7 @@ categoriesController.get = function(req, res, next) {
 		}
 	], function (err, data) {
 		if (err) {
-			return res.locals.isAPI ? res.json(404, 'not-found') : res.redirect(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/404');
+			return next(err);
 		}
 
 		if (data.link) {
@@ -193,7 +199,7 @@ categoriesController.get = function(req, res, next) {
 		}
 
 		data.currentPage = page;
-		data['feeds:disableRSS'] = meta.config['feeds:disableRSS'] === '1' ? true : false;
+		data['feeds:disableRSS'] = parseInt(meta.config['feeds:disableRSS'], 10) === 1;
 		data.csrf = req.csrfToken();
 
 		// Paginator for noscript
@@ -204,8 +210,27 @@ categoriesController.get = function(req, res, next) {
 				active: x === parseInt(page, 10)
 			});
 		}
+
 		res.render('category', data);
 	});
 };
 
+function notFound(req, res) {
+	res.locals.isAPI ? res.json(404, 'not-found') : res.redirect(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/404');
+}
+
+function notAllowed(req, res) {
+	var uid = req.user ? req.user.uid : 0;
+	if (uid) {
+		res.locals.isAPI ? res.json(403, 'not-allowed') : res.redirect(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/403');
+	} else {
+		if (res.locals.isAPI) {
+			res.json(401, 'not-authorized');
+		} else {
+			req.session.returnTo = req.url;
+			res.redirect(nconf.get('relative_path') + '/login');
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 module.exports = categoriesController;