diff --git a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
index 1b10ef424..dec2524ba 100644
--- a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
       if @contact
         @aspects_with_person = @contact.aspects
       else
-        @pending_request = current_user.pending_requests.find_by_person_id(@person.id)
+        @pending_request = current_user.request_for(@person)
       end
 
       @posts = current_user.visible_posts(:person_id => @person.id).paginate :page => params[:page], :order => 'created_at DESC'
diff --git a/app/views/people/_person.html.haml b/app/views/people/_person.html.haml
index b0c94bbe3..5afce753f 100644
--- a/app/views/people/_person.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/people/_person.html.haml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
           = t('.thats_you')
         - elsif current_user.person_objects.include?(person)
           = t('.already_connected')
-        - elsif current_user.pending_requests.find_by_person_id(person.id)
+        - elsif current_user.request_for(person)
           = link_to =t('.pending_request'), aspects_manage_path
         - else
           - single_aspect_form ||= nil
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb b/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb
index c864c4908..1f7718f50 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ module Diaspora
         self.aspects.all.collect{|x| x.id}
       end
 
+      def request_for(to_person)
+        Request.first(:from_id => self.person.id, :to_id => to_person.id).first
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/user/querying_spec.rb b/spec/models/user/querying_spec.rb
index e981b436e..c6ab423cc 100644
--- a/spec/models/user/querying_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user/querying_spec.rb
@@ -173,4 +173,19 @@ describe User do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#request_for" do
+    let!(:user5) {make_user}
+
+    it 'should not have a pending request before connecting' do
+      request = user.request_for(user5.person)
+      request.should be_nil
+    end
+
+    it 'should have a pending request after sending a request' do
+      user.send_contact_request_to(user5.person, user.aspects.first)
+      request = user.reload.request_for(user5.person)
+      request.should_not be_nil
+    end
+  end
+
 end