diff --git a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
index 93ff34e87..64a00becd 100644
--- a/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/people_controller.rb
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ class PeopleController < ApplicationController
 
       if @contact
         @aspects_with_person = @contact.aspects
-      else
-        @pending_request = current_user.request_for(@person)
       end
 
       @posts = current_user.visible_posts(:person_id => @person.id, :_type => "StatusMessage").paginate :page => params[:page], :order => 'created_at DESC'
diff --git a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
index 39c3c8c83..9a090992d 100644
--- a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ class PhotosController < ApplicationController
 
       if @contact
         @aspects_with_person = @contact.aspects
-      else
-        @pending_request = current_user.pending_requests.find_by_person_id(@person.id)
       end
 
       @posts = current_user.raw_visible_posts.all(:_type => 'Photo', :person_id => @person.id, :order => 'created_at DESC').paginate :page => params[:page], :order => 'created_at DESC'
diff --git a/app/helpers/people_helper.rb b/app/helpers/people_helper.rb
index 1a382a499..c3fbf7b1f 100644
--- a/app/helpers/people_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/people_helper.rb
@@ -28,4 +28,8 @@ module PeopleHelper
     end
   end
 
+  def pending_request_for(person)
+    current_user.request_for(person)
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/app/views/people/show.html.haml b/app/views/people/show.html.haml
index 53cfe10ab..bc53f5e36 100644
--- a/app/views/people/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/people/show.html.haml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
       %h3
         = t('.not_connected', :name => @person.real_name)
         
-      - unless @pending_request
+      - unless pending_request_for(@person)
         %h3
           .description
             = t('.request_people')