diff --git a/src/connections.c b/src/connections.c
index 534621bb..58a8bb1c 100644
--- a/src/connections.c
+++ b/src/connections.c
@@ -1134,7 +1134,12 @@ connection *connection_accepted(server *srv, server_socket *srv_socket, sock_add
 
 
 static int connection_handle_request(request_st * const r) {
-			int rc = http_response_prepare(r);
+			const plugin *p = r->handler_module;
+			int rc;
+			if (NULL != p
+			    || ((rc = http_response_prepare(r)) == HANDLER_GO_ON
+			        && NULL != (p = r->handler_module)))
+				rc = p->handle_subrequest(r, p->data);
 			switch (rc) {
 			case HANDLER_WAIT_FOR_EVENT:
 				if (!r->resp_body_finished && (!r->resp_body_started || 0 == r->conf.stream_response_body)) {
@@ -1142,6 +1147,7 @@ static int connection_handle_request(request_st * const r) {
 				}
 				/* response headers received from backend; fall through to start response */
 				/* fall through */
+			case HANDLER_GO_ON: /*(HANDLER_FINISHED if request not handled)*/
 			case HANDLER_FINISHED:
 				if (r->http_status == 0) r->http_status = 200;
 				if (r->error_handler_saved_status > 0) {
@@ -1229,13 +1235,10 @@ static int connection_handle_request(request_st * const r) {
 					config_reset_config(r);
 				}
 				return 1;
-			case HANDLER_ERROR:
-				/* something went wrong */
-				connection_set_state(r, CON_STATE_ERROR);
-				break;
+			/*case HANDLER_ERROR:*/
 			default:
+				/* something went wrong */
 				connection_set_state(r, CON_STATE_ERROR);
-				log_error(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__, "unknown ret-value: %d %d", r->con->fd, rc);
 				break;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/response.c b/src/response.c
index 37b2a91a..9c7a31e7 100644
--- a/src/response.c
+++ b/src/response.c
@@ -298,8 +298,7 @@ handler_t http_response_prepare(request_st * const r) {
 	handler_t rc;
 
 	/* looks like someone has already done a decision */
-	if (NULL == r->handler_module &&
-	    (r->http_status != 0 && r->http_status != 200)) {
+	if (r->http_status != 0 && r->http_status != 200) {
 		/* remove a packets in the queue */
 		if (r->resp_body_finished == 0) {
 			http_response_body_clear(r, 0);
@@ -309,7 +308,7 @@ handler_t http_response_prepare(request_st * const r) {
 	}
 
 	/* no decision yet, build conf->filename */
-	if (NULL == r->handler_module && buffer_is_empty(&r->physical.path)) {
+	if (buffer_is_empty(&r->physical.path)) {
 
 		/* we only come here when we have the parse the full request again
 		 *
@@ -667,13 +666,14 @@ handler_t http_response_prepare(request_st * const r) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (NULL != r->handler_module) return HANDLER_GO_ON;
+
 	/*
 	 * Noone catched away the file from normal path of execution yet (like mod_access)
 	 *
 	 * Go on and check of the file exists at all
 	 */
 
-	if (NULL == r->handler_module) {
 		if (r->conf.log_request_handling) {
 			log_error(r->conf.errh, __FILE__, __LINE__,
 			  "-- handling physical path");
@@ -711,10 +711,5 @@ handler_t http_response_prepare(request_st * const r) {
 			return HANDLER_FINISHED;
 		}
 
-	}
-
-	const plugin * const p = r->handler_module;
-	rc = (NULL != p) ? p->handle_subrequest(r, p->data) : HANDLER_FINISHED;
-	if (HANDLER_GO_ON == rc) rc = HANDLER_FINISHED; /* request was not handled, looks like we are done */
-	return rc;
+		return HANDLER_GO_ON;
 }