diff --git a/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb b/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
index a7ce4b5e3..f5a43360c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
@@ -37,8 +37,12 @@ class AlbumsController < ApplicationController
   def show
     @photo = Photo.new
     @album = current_user.find_visible_post_by_id( params[:id] )
-    @album_photos = @album.photos
-    respond_with @album
+    unless @album
+      render :file => "#{Rails.root}/public/404.html", :layout => false, :status => 404
+    else
+      @album_photos = @album.photos
+      respond_with @album
+    end
   end
 
   def edit
diff --git a/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb
index cc6aeaa6c..484cab55e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb
@@ -41,10 +41,14 @@ class AspectsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def show
-    @aspect  = current_user.aspect_by_id params[:id]
-    @friends = @aspect.people
-    @posts   = current_user.visible_posts( :by_members_of => @aspect ).paginate :per_page => 15, :order => 'created_at DESC'
-    respond_with @aspect
+    @aspect = current_user.aspect_by_id params[:id]
+    unless @aspect
+      render :file => "#{Rails.root}/public/404.html", :layout => false, :status => 404
+    else
+      @friends = @aspect.people
+      @posts   = current_user.visible_posts( :by_members_of => @aspect ).paginate :per_page => 15, :order => 'created_at DESC'
+      respond_with @aspect
+    end
   end
 
   def public
diff --git a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
index 1e5ef5c23..746877498 100644
--- a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
@@ -17,26 +17,18 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def show
-    begin
-      @person = current_user.visible_person_by_id(params[:id])
-    rescue BSON::InvalidObjectId
-      flash[:error] = "Person not found."
-      redirect_to people_path
-      return
-    end
+    @person = current_user.visible_person_by_id(params[:id])
     unless @person
-      flash[:error] = "Person not found."
-      redirect_to people_path
-      return
+      render :file => "#{Rails.root}/public/404.html", :layout => false, :status => 404
+    else
+      @profile = @person.profile
+      @aspects_with_person = current_user.aspects_with_person(@person)
+      @aspects_dropdown_array = current_user.aspects.collect{|x| [x.to_s, x.id]}
+      @posts = current_user.visible_posts(:person_id => @person.id).paginate :page => params[:page], :order => 'created_at DESC'
+      @latest_status_message = current_user.raw_visible_posts.find_all_by__type_and_person_id("StatusMessage", params[:id]).last
+      @post_count = @posts.count
+      respond_with @person
     end
-
-    @profile = @person.profile
-    @aspects_with_person = current_user.aspects_with_person(@person)
-    @aspects_dropdown_array = current_user.aspects.collect{|x| [x.to_s, x.id]}
-    @posts = current_user.visible_posts(:person_id => @person.id).paginate :page => params[:page], :order => 'created_at DESC'
-    @latest_status_message = current_user.raw_visible_posts.find_all_by__type_and_person_id("StatusMessage", params[:id]).last
-    @post_count = @posts.count
-    respond_with @person
   end
 
   def destroy
diff --git a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
index a1ef260b1..a3a815f69 100644
--- a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
@@ -76,8 +76,12 @@ class PhotosController < ApplicationController
 
   def show
     @photo = current_user.find_visible_post_by_id params[:id]
-    @album = @photo.album
-    respond_with @photo, @album
+    unless @photo
+      render :file => "#{Rails.root}/public/404.html", :layout => false, :status => 404
+    else
+      @album = @photo.album
+      respond_with @photo, @album
+    end
   end
 
   def edit
diff --git a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
index 58b86c051..205156a89 100644
--- a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
 
   def show
     @status_message = current_user.find_visible_post_by_id params[:id]
-    respond_with @status_message
+    unless @status_message
+      render :status => 404
+    else
+      respond_with @status_message
+    end
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb b/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb
index 9b08bd9b8..c0f192fed 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/user/querying.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ module Diaspora
     module Querying
 
       def find_visible_post_by_id( id )
-        self.raw_visible_posts.find id
+        self.raw_visible_posts.find id.to_id
       end
 
       def visible_posts( opts = {} )
diff --git a/lib/mongo_mapper/bson_id.rb b/lib/mongo_mapper/bson_id.rb
index f1e0e9985..e3425715f 100644
--- a/lib/mongo_mapper/bson_id.rb
+++ b/lib/mongo_mapper/bson_id.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 
 class String
   def to_id
-    BSON::ObjectId self
+    begin
+      BSON::ObjectId self
+    rescue
+      nil
+    end
   end
 end
 class BSON::ObjectId