diff --git a/lib/go/camli/search/handler.go b/lib/go/camli/search/handler.go
index 27b65c024..e8a5183f1 100644
--- a/lib/go/camli/search/handler.go
+++ b/lib/go/camli/search/handler.go
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ func jsonMapList() []map[string]interface{} {
 }
 
 func (sh *Handler) ServeHTTP(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+	ret := jsonMap()
+	defer httputil.ReturnJson(rw, ret)
+
 	_ = req.Header.Get("X-PrefixHandler-PathBase")
 	suffix := req.Header.Get("X-PrefixHandler-PathSuffix")
 
@@ -114,10 +117,8 @@ func (sh *Handler) ServeHTTP(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	// TODO: discovery for the endpoints & better error message with link to discovery info
-	ret := jsonMap()
 	ret["error"] = "Unsupported search path or method"
 	ret["errorType"] = "input"
-	httputil.ReturnJson(rw, ret)
 }
 
 func (sh *Handler) serveRecentPermanodes(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {