diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller.ex
index e8e59ac66..5a92cebd8 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller.ex
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.AccountController do
 
   @doc "POST /api/v1/accounts/:id/follow"
   def follow(%{assigns: %{user: %{id: id}, account: %{id: id}}}, _params) do
-    {:error, :not_found}
+    {:error, "Can not follow yourself"}
   end
 
   def follow(%{assigns: %{user: follower, account: followed}} = conn, _params) do
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.AccountController do
 
   @doc "POST /api/v1/accounts/:id/unfollow"
   def unfollow(%{assigns: %{user: %{id: id}, account: %{id: id}}}, _params) do
-    {:error, :not_found}
+    {:error, "Can not unfollow yourself"}
   end
 
   def unfollow(%{assigns: %{user: follower, account: followed}} = conn, _params) do
@@ -356,14 +356,15 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.AccountController do
   end
 
   @doc "POST /api/v1/follows"
-  def follows(%{assigns: %{user: follower}} = conn, %{"uri" => uri}) do
-    with {_, %User{} = followed} <- {:followed, User.get_cached_by_nickname(uri)},
-         {_, true} <- {:followed, follower.id != followed.id},
-         {:ok, follower, followed, _} <- CommonAPI.follow(follower, followed) do
-      render(conn, "show.json", user: followed, for: follower)
-    else
-      {:followed, _} -> {:error, :not_found}
-      {:error, message} -> json_response(conn, :forbidden, %{error: message})
+  def follows(conn, %{"uri" => uri}) do
+    case User.get_cached_by_nickname(uri) do
+      %User{} = user ->
+        conn
+        |> assign(:account, user)
+        |> follow(%{})
+
+      nil ->
+        {:error, :not_found}
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller_test.exs b/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller_test.exs
index 61c2697b2..8c428efee 100644
--- a/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller_test.exs
+++ b/test/web/mastodon_api/controllers/account_controller_test.exs
@@ -681,17 +681,17 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.AccountControllerTest do
     test "following / unfollowing errors", %{user: user, conn: conn} do
       # self follow
       conn_res = post(conn, "/api/v1/accounts/#{user.id}/follow")
-      assert %{"error" => "Record not found"} = json_response(conn_res, 404)
+      assert %{"error" => "Can not follow yourself"} = json_response(conn_res, 400)
 
       # self unfollow
       user = User.get_cached_by_id(user.id)
       conn_res = post(conn, "/api/v1/accounts/#{user.id}/unfollow")
-      assert %{"error" => "Record not found"} = json_response(conn_res, 404)
+      assert %{"error" => "Can not unfollow yourself"} = json_response(conn_res, 400)
 
       # self follow via uri
       user = User.get_cached_by_id(user.id)
       conn_res = post(conn, "/api/v1/follows", %{"uri" => user.nickname})
-      assert %{"error" => "Record not found"} = json_response(conn_res, 404)
+      assert %{"error" => "Can not follow yourself"} = json_response(conn_res, 400)
 
       # follow non existing user
       conn_res = post(conn, "/api/v1/accounts/doesntexist/follow")