diff --git a/lib/api/entities.rb b/lib/api/entities.rb
index 35ad4d43..f57545ff 100644
--- a/lib/api/entities.rb
+++ b/lib/api/entities.rb
@@ -16,11 +16,7 @@ module Gitlab
       expose :issues_enabled, :merge_requests_enabled, :wall_enabled, :wiki_enabled, :created_at
     end
 
-    class ProjectRepositoryBranches < Grape::Entity
-      expose :name, :commit
-    end
-
-    class ProjectRepositoryTags < Grape::Entity
+    class RepoObject < Grape::Entity
       expose :name, :commit
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/api/helpers.rb b/lib/api/helpers.rb
index 424a17b2..e7b9a417 100644
--- a/lib/api/helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/api/helpers.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ module Gitlab
       @current_user ||= User.find_by_authentication_token(params[:private_token])
     end
 
+    def user_project
+      @project ||= current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
+    end
+
     def authenticate!
       error!({'message' => '401 Unauthorized'}, 401) unless current_user
     end
diff --git a/lib/api/projects.rb b/lib/api/projects.rb
index 70f8fa2a..34d1c236 100644
--- a/lib/api/projects.rb
+++ b/lib/api/projects.rb
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   GET /projects/:id
       get ":id" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        present @project, :with => Entities::Project
+        present user_project, :with => Entities::Project
       end
 
       # Get a project repository branches
@@ -31,8 +30,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   GET /projects/:id/repository/branches
       get ":id/repository/branches" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        present @project.repo.heads.sort_by(&:name), :with => Entities::ProjectRepositoryBranches
+        present user_project.repo.heads.sort_by(&:name), :with => Entities::RepoObject
       end
 
       # Get a project repository tags
@@ -42,8 +40,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   GET /projects/:id/repository/tags
       get ":id/repository/tags" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        present @project.repo.tags.sort_by(&:name).reverse, :with => Entities::ProjectRepositoryTags
+        present user_project.repo.tags.sort_by(&:name).reverse, :with => Entities::RepoObject
       end
 
       # Get a project snippet
@@ -54,8 +51,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   GET /projects/:id/snippets/:snippet_id
       get ":id/snippets/:snippet_id" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        @snippet = @project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
+        @snippet = user_project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
         present @snippet, :with => Entities::ProjectSnippet
       end
 
@@ -70,8 +66,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   POST /projects/:id/snippets
       post ":id/snippets" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        @snippet = @project.snippets.new(
+        @snippet = user_project.snippets.new(
           :title      => params[:title],
           :file_name  => params[:file_name],
           :expires_at => params[:lifetime],
@@ -98,8 +93,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   PUT /projects/:id/snippets/:snippet_id
       put ":id/snippets/:snippet_id" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        @snippet = @project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
+        @snippet = user_project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
         parameters = {
           :title      => (params[:title] || @snippet.title),
           :file_name  => (params[:file_name] || @snippet.file_name),
@@ -122,8 +116,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   DELETE /projects/:id/snippets/:snippet_id
       delete ":id/snippets/:snippet_id" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        @snippet = @project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
+        @snippet = user_project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
         @snippet.destroy
       end
 
@@ -135,8 +128,7 @@ module Gitlab
       # Example Request:
       #   GET /projects/:id/snippets/:snippet_id/raw
       get ":id/snippets/:snippet_id/raw" do
-        @project = current_user.projects.find_by_code(params[:id])
-        @snippet = @project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
+        @snippet = user_project.snippets.find(params[:snippet_id])
         present @snippet.content
       end
     end