diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersController.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersController.java
index 2ec5f01ab..2b4cceb2c 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersController.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersController.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ public class MetadataFiltersController {
 
     private static final Supplier<HttpClientErrorException> HTTP_404_CLIENT_ERROR_EXCEPTION = () -> new HttpClientErrorException(NOT_FOUND);
 
+    //TODO: refactor to use RestControllerSupport class
     @ExceptionHandler
     public ResponseEntity<?> notFoundHandler(HttpClientErrorException ex) {
         if(ex.getStatusCode() == NOT_FOUND) {
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<?> update(@PathVariable String metadataResolverId,
         // check to make sure that the relationship exists
         if (!metadataResolver.getMetadataFilters().contains(filterTobeUpdated)) {
             // TODO: find a better response
+            // TODO: refactor to use RestControllerSupport class
             return new ResponseEntity<>(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
         }
 
@@ -143,6 +145,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<?> delete(@PathVariable String metadataResolverId,
         return ResponseEntity.noContent().build();
     }
 
+    //TODO: refactor to use RestControllerSupport class
     private MetadataResolver findResolverOrThrowHttp404(String resolverResourceId) {
         MetadataResolver resolver = repository.findByResourceId(resolverResourceId);
         if(resolver == null) {
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersPositionOrderController.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersPositionOrderController.java
index 2763eae89..bc3ccbffd 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersPositionOrderController.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataFiltersPositionOrderController.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.controller;
 
+import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.controller.support.RestControllersSupport;
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.domain.filters.MetadataFilter;
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.domain.resolvers.MetadataResolver;
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.repository.MetadataResolverRepository;
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestBody;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestControllerAdvice;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -31,12 +33,15 @@ public class MetadataFiltersPositionOrderController {
     @Autowired
     MetadataResolverRepository metadataResolverRepository;
 
+    @Autowired
+    RestControllersSupport restControllersSupport;
+
     @PostMapping
     @Transactional
     public ResponseEntity<?> updateFiltersPositionOrder(@PathVariable String metadataResolverId,
                                                         @RequestBody List<String> filtersResourceIds) {
 
-        MetadataResolver resolver = metadataResolverRepository.findByResourceId(metadataResolverId);
+        MetadataResolver resolver = restControllersSupport.findResolverOrThrowHttp404(metadataResolverId);
         List<MetadataFilter> currentFilters = resolver.getMetadataFilters();
         List<MetadataFilter> reOrderedFilters = new ArrayList<>();
 
@@ -60,7 +65,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<?> updateFiltersPositionOrder(@PathVariable String metadat
     @GetMapping
     @Transactional(readOnly = true)
     public ResponseEntity<?> getFiltersPositionOrder(@PathVariable String metadataResolverId) {
-        MetadataResolver resolver = metadataResolverRepository.findByResourceId(metadataResolverId);
+        MetadataResolver resolver = restControllersSupport.findResolverOrThrowHttp404(metadataResolverId);
         List<String> resourceIds = resolver.getMetadataFilters().stream()
                 .map(MetadataFilter::getResourceId)
                 .collect(toList());
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/support/RestControllersSupport.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/support/RestControllersSupport.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..764ad58a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/support/RestControllersSupport.java
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.controller.support;
+
+import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.domain.resolvers.MetadataResolver;
+import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.repository.MetadataResolverRepository;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ExceptionHandler;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestControllerAdvice;
+import org.springframework.web.client.HttpClientErrorException;
+
+import static org.springframework.http.HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND;
+
+/**
+ * Common functionality for REST controllers.
+ *
+ * @author Dmitriy Kopylenko
+ */
+@RestControllerAdvice
+public class RestControllersSupport {
+
+    @Autowired
+    MetadataResolverRepository resolverRepository;
+
+    public MetadataResolver findResolverOrThrowHttp404(String resolverResourceId) {
+        MetadataResolver resolver = resolverRepository.findByResourceId(resolverResourceId);
+        if(resolver == null) {
+            throw new HttpClientErrorException(NOT_FOUND, "Metadata resolver is not found");
+        }
+        return resolver;
+    }
+
+
+    @ExceptionHandler
+    public ResponseEntity<?> notFoundHandler(HttpClientErrorException ex) {
+        if(ex.getStatusCode() == NOT_FOUND) {
+            return ResponseEntity.status(NOT_FOUND).body(ex.getStatusText());
+        }
+        throw ex;
+    }
+}