gistfile1.txt

diff --git a/topdown/http.go b/topdown/http.go
index 856e790c..ae0c69af 100644
--- a/topdown/http.go
+++ b/topdown/http.go
@@ -79,70 +79,55 @@ func builtinHTTPSend(bctx BuiltinContext, args []*ast.Term, iter func(*ast.Term)
 		return handleBuiltinErr(ast.HTTPSend.Name, bctx.Location, err)
 	}
 
-	return builtinHTTPSendHelper(bctx, req, raiseError, iter)
-}
+	result, err := getHTTPResponse(bctx, req)
+	if err != nil {
+		if raiseError {
+			return handleHTTPSendErr(bctx, err)
+		}
 
-func builtinHTTPSendHelper(bctx BuiltinContext, req ast.Object, raiseError bool, iter func(*ast.Term) error) (err error) {
-	httpSendErrType := false
+		obj := ast.NewObject()
+		obj.Insert(ast.StringTerm("error"), ast.StringTerm(err.Error()))
+		obj.Insert(ast.StringTerm("status_code"), ast.IntNumberTerm(0))
+		result = ast.NewTerm(obj)
+	}
 
-	defer func() {
-		if err != nil {
-			if raiseError {
-				if httpSendErrType {
-					err = handleHTTPSendErr(bctx, err)
-				}
-			} else {
-				result := ast.NewObject()
-
-				if httpSendErrType {
-					err = handleHTTPSendErr(bctx, err)
-				}
-
-				result.Insert(ast.StringTerm("error"), ast.StringTerm(err.Error()))
-				result.Insert(ast.StringTerm("status_code"), ast.NumberTerm(json.Number("0")))
-				err = iter(ast.NewTerm(result))
-			}
-		}
-	}()
+	return iter(result)
+}
+
+func getHTTPResponse(bctx BuiltinContext, req ast.Object) (*ast.Term, error) {
 
 	bctx.Metrics.Timer(httpSendLatencyMetricKey).Start()
 
 	var reqExecutor httpRequestExecutor
-	reqExecutor, err = newHTTPRequestExecutor(bctx, req)
+	reqExecutor, err := newHTTPRequestExecutor(bctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
-		httpSendErrType = true
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// check if cache already has a response for this query
 	var resp ast.Value
 	resp, err = reqExecutor.CheckCache()
 	if err != nil {
-		httpSendErrType = true
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	if resp == nil {
 		var httpResp *http.Response
 		httpResp, err = reqExecutor.ExecuteHTTPRequest()
 		if err != nil {
-			httpSendErrType = true
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 
 		// add result to cache
 		resp, err = reqExecutor.InsertIntoCache(httpResp)
 		if err != nil {
-			httpSendErrType = true
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
 
 	bctx.Metrics.Timer(httpSendLatencyMetricKey).Stop()
 
-	err = iter(ast.NewTerm(resp))
-
-	return err
+	return ast.NewTerm(resp), nil
 }
 
 func init() {