diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller.ex
index 5032c735d..25c5418ab 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller.ex
@@ -269,8 +269,8 @@ def following(conn, %{"id" => id}) do
     end
   end
 
-  def follow(%{assigns: %{user: follower}} = conn, params) do
-    with {:ok, %User{} = followed} <- get_user(params),
+  def follow(%{assigns: %{user: follower}} = conn, %{"id" => id}) do
+    with %User{} = followed <- Repo.get(User, id),
          {:ok, follower} <- User.follow(follower, followed),
          {:ok, activity} <- ActivityPub.follow(follower, followed) do
       render conn, AccountView, "relationship.json", %{user: follower, target: followed}
@@ -282,6 +282,19 @@ def follow(%{assigns: %{user: follower}} = conn, params) do
     end
   end
 
+  def follows(%{assigns: %{user: follower}} = conn, %{"uri" => uri}) do
+    with %User{} = followed <- Repo.get_by(User, nickname: uri),
+       {:ok, follower} <- User.follow(follower, followed),
+       {:ok, activity} <- ActivityPub.follow(follower, followed) do
+      render conn, AccountView, "account.json", %{user: followed}
+    else
+      {:error, message} = err ->
+        conn
+        |> put_resp_content_type("application/json")
+        |> send_resp(403, Poison.encode!(%{"error" => message}))
+    end
+  end
+
   # TODO: Clean up and unify
   def unfollow(%{assigns: %{user: follower}} = conn, %{"id" => id}) do
     with %User{} = followed <- Repo.get(User, id),
@@ -343,25 +356,4 @@ def empty_array(conn, _) do
     Logger.debug("Unimplemented, returning an empty array")
     json(conn, [])
   end
-
-  defp get_user(params) do
-    case params do
-      %{"uri" => uri} ->
-        case target = Repo.get_by(User, nickname: uri) do
-          nil ->
-            {:error, "No user with such nickname"}
-          _ ->
-            {:ok, target}
-        end
-      %{"id" => id} ->
-        case target = Repo.get(User, id) do
-          nil ->
-            {:error, "No user with such id"}
-          _ ->
-            {:ok, target}
-        end
-      _ ->
-        {:error, "You need to specify uri or id"}
-    end
-  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
index 45c47eefb..557d094b4 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/router.ex
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def user_fetcher(username) do
     post "/accounts/:id/mute", MastodonAPIController, :relationship_noop
     post "/accounts/:id/unmute", MastodonAPIController, :relationship_noop
 
-    post "/follows", MastodonAPIController, :follow
+    post "/follows", MastodonAPIController, :follows
 
     get "/blocks", MastodonAPIController, :empty_array
     get "/domain_blocks", MastodonAPIController, :empty_array
diff --git a/test/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller_test.exs b/test/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller_test.exs
index af2351706..4e5dc963f 100644
--- a/test/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/mastodon_api/mastodon_api_controller_test.exs
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ test "following / unfollowing a user", %{conn: conn} do
     |> assign(:user, user)
     |> post("/api/v1/follows", %{"uri" => other_user.nickname})
 
-    assert %{"id" => id, "following" => true} = json_response(conn, 200)
+    assert other_user = json_response(conn, 200)
   end
 
   test "unimplemented block/mute endpoints" do