diff --git a/server/src/routes/case_actions.rs b/server/src/routes/case_actions.rs
index c8ba937..b95ec98 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/case_actions.rs
+++ b/server/src/routes/case_actions.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use crate::case_id::CaseIdPath;
 use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::error::AppError;
 use crate::paths::{read_delete_marker, write_delete_marker, DeleteMarker, DELETE_MARKER};
-use crate::routes::user_web::locate_case;
+use crate::routes::user_web::locate_case_or_404;
 
 #[derive(Template)]
 #[template(path = "document.html")]
@@ -49,13 +49,7 @@ pub async fn handle_analyze_case(
     }
 
     let user_root = config.data_path.join(&user.slug);
-    let case_dir = match locate_case(&user_root, &case_id.to_string()).await {
-        Some(p) => p,
-        None => {
-            warn!(slug = %user.slug, case_id = %case_id, "analyze: case not found");
-            return Err(AppError::NotFound("Case not found".into()));
-        }
-    };
+    let case_dir = locate_case_or_404(&user_root, &case_id, &user.slug, "analyze").await?;
 
     // Re-analyze: delete the existing document first so the UI stops showing
     // the stale "ausgewertet" state while the worker re-computes. Ignore
@@ -103,13 +97,7 @@ pub async fn handle_document_view(
     CaseIdPath(case_id): CaseIdPath,
 ) -> Result<Html<String>, AppError> {
     let user_root = config.data_path.join(&user.slug);
-    let case_dir = match locate_case(&user_root, &case_id.to_string()).await {
-        Some(p) => p,
-        None => {
-            warn!(slug = %user.slug, case_id = %case_id, "document view: case not found");
-            return Err(AppError::NotFound("Case not found".into()));
-        }
-    };
+    let case_dir = locate_case_or_404(&user_root, &case_id, &user.slug, "document view").await?;
 
     let md = read_document(&case_dir)
         .await
@@ -272,13 +260,7 @@ pub async fn handle_delete_case(
     CaseIdPath(case_id): CaseIdPath,
 ) -> Result<Redirect, AppError> {
     let user_root = config.data_path.join(&user.slug);
-    let case_dir = match locate_case(&user_root, &case_id.to_string()).await {
-        Some(p) => p,
-        None => {
-            warn!(slug = %user.slug, case_id = %case_id, "delete: case not found");
-            return Err(AppError::NotFound("Case not found".into()));
-        }
-    };
+    let case_dir = locate_case_or_404(&user_root, &case_id, &user.slug, "delete").await?;
 
     let marker = DeleteMarker {
         batch: uuid::Uuid::new_v4(),
@@ -313,13 +295,7 @@ pub async fn handle_reset_case(
     }
 
     let user_root = config.data_path.join(&user.slug);
-    let case_dir = match locate_case(&user_root, &case_id.to_string()).await {
-        Some(p) => p,
-        None => {
-            warn!(slug = %user.slug, case_id = %case_id, "reset: case not found");
-            return Err(AppError::NotFound("Case not found".into()));
-        }
-    };
+    let case_dir = locate_case_or_404(&user_root, &case_id, &user.slug, "reset").await?;
 
     reset_case_artefacts(&case_dir)
         .await
diff --git a/server/src/routes/user_web.rs b/server/src/routes/user_web.rs
index c047cf2..e136674 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/user_web.rs
+++ b/server/src/routes/user_web.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use time::{format_description::well_known::Rfc3339, Date, OffsetDateTime};
 
 use crate::analyze::{recovery as analyze_recovery, AnalyzeSender, ANALYSIS_INPUT_FILE, DOCUMENT_FILE};
 use crate::auth::AuthenticatedWebUser;
-use crate::case_id::CaseIdPath;
+use crate::case_id::{CaseId, CaseIdPath};
 use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::error::AppError;
 use crate::routes::web::{scan_recordings, RecordingView};
@@ -278,14 +278,14 @@ pub async fn handle_case_detail(
     )
     .await;
 
+    let case_dir = locate_case_or_404(
+        &user_root,
+        &case_id,
+        &user.slug,
+        "case detail (possible IDOR probe)",
+    )
+    .await?;
     let case_id_str = case_id.to_string();
-    let case_dir = match locate_case(&user_root, &case_id_str).await {
-        Some(p) => p,
-        None => {
-            warn!(slug = %user.slug, case_id = %case_id, "case detail: not found (possible IDOR probe)");
-            return Err(AppError::NotFound("Case not found".into()));
-        }
-    };
     info!(slug = %user.slug, case_id = %case_id, "case detail viewed");
 
     let recordings = scan_recordings(&case_dir).await;
@@ -333,6 +333,32 @@ pub(crate) async fn locate_case(user_root: &Path, case_id: &str) -> Option<std::
     Some(p)
 }
 
+/// Resolve a case directory for a handler, mapping any miss to
+/// `AppError::NotFound("Case not found")` — matches the legacy 404 body
+/// byte-for-byte. The `context` tag distinguishes log lines from the
+/// different handlers (analyze, delete, reset, ...). Callers that need
+/// a different not-found policy (silent skip in bulk ops) should keep
+/// using `locate_case` directly.
+pub(crate) async fn locate_case_or_404(
+    user_root: &Path,
+    case_id: &CaseId,
+    user_slug: &str,
+    context: &str,
+) -> Result<std::path::PathBuf, AppError> {
+    match locate_case(user_root, &case_id.to_string()).await {
+        Some(p) => Ok(p),
+        None => {
+            warn!(
+                slug = %user_slug,
+                case_id = %case_id,
+                context = %context,
+                "case not found",
+            );
+            Err(AppError::NotFound("Case not found".into()))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Scan all of the given user's cases. Returned vec is sorted by most
 /// recent recording filename (lexicographic ≈ chronological since
 /// timestamps are ISO-8601), newest first. Soft-deleted cases (with