diff --git a/app/helpers/people_helper.rb b/app/helpers/people_helper.rb
index 0e455017e..40c79bb43 100644
--- a/app/helpers/people_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/people_helper.rb
@@ -26,11 +26,9 @@ module PeopleHelper
   end
 
   def person_link(person, opts={})
-    opts[:class] ||= ""
-    opts[:class] << " self" if defined?(user_signed_in?) && user_signed_in? && current_user.person == person
-    opts[:class] << " hovercardable" if defined?(user_signed_in?) && user_signed_in? && current_user.person != person
+    css_class = person_link_class(person, opts[:class])
     remote_or_hovercard_link = Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.person_path(person).html_safe
-    "<a data-hovercard='#{remote_or_hovercard_link}' href='#{remote_or_hovercard_link}' class='#{opts[:class]}'>"\
+    "<a data-hovercard='#{remote_or_hovercard_link}' href='#{remote_or_hovercard_link}' class='#{css_class}'>"\
       "#{html_escape_once(opts[:display_name] || person.name)}</a>"\
       .html_safe
   end
@@ -46,11 +44,9 @@ module PeopleHelper
     if opts[:to] == :photos
       link_to person_image_tag(person, opts[:size]), person_photos_path(person)
     else
-      opts[:class] ||= ""
-      opts[:class] << " self" if defined?(user_signed_in?) && user_signed_in? && current_user.person == person
-      opts[:class] << " hovercardable" if defined?(user_signed_in?) && user_signed_in? && current_user.person != person
+      css_class = person_link_class(person, opts[:class])
       remote_or_hovercard_link = Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.person_path(person).html_safe
-      "<a href='#{remote_or_hovercard_link}' class='#{opts[:class]}' #{ ("target=" + opts[:target]) if opts[:target]}>
+      "<a href='#{remote_or_hovercard_link}' class='#{css_class}' #{('target=' + opts[:target]) if opts[:target]}>
       #{person_image_tag(person, opts[:size])}
       </a>".html_safe
     end
@@ -79,4 +75,14 @@ module PeopleHelper
       return Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.person_path(person, opts)
     end
   end
+
+  private
+
+  def person_link_class(person, css_class)
+    return css_class unless defined?(user_signed_in?) && user_signed_in?
+
+    return "#{css_class} self" if current_user.person == person
+
+    "#{css_class} hovercardable"
+  end
 end