diff --git a/src/aleph/web/controllers/prices.py b/src/aleph/web/controllers/prices.py
index 4fef62052..625c2ed59 100644
--- a/src/aleph/web/controllers/prices.py
+++ b/src/aleph/web/controllers/prices.py
@@ -1,47 +1,85 @@
 import logging
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from decimal import Decimal
 from typing import Optional
 
 from aiohttp import web
-from dataclasses import dataclass
+from aiohttp.web_exceptions import HTTPException
+from aleph_message.models import ExecutableContent, ItemHash, MessageType
 from dataclasses_json import DataClassJsonMixin
 
-from aleph_message.models import ItemHash, MessageType
-from aleph.db.accessors.messages import (
-    get_message_status, get_message_by_item_hash,
-)
+from aleph.db.accessors.messages import get_message_by_item_hash, get_message_status
+from aleph.db.models import MessageDb, MessageStatusDb
 from aleph.services.cost import compute_cost, compute_flow_cost
-from aleph.types.db_session import DbSessionFactory
+from aleph.types.db_session import DbSession, DbSessionFactory
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+# This is not defined in aiohttp.web_exceptions
+class HTTPProcessing(HTTPException):
+    status_code = 102
+
+
+# Mapping between message statuses to their corresponding exceptions and messages
+MESSAGE_STATUS_EXCEPTIONS = {
+    MessageStatusDb.statuses.PENDING: (HTTPProcessing, "Message still pending"),
+    MessageStatusDb.statuses.REJECTED: (web.HTTPNotFound, "This message was rejected"),
+    MessageStatusDb.statuses.FORGOTTEN: (
+        web.HTTPGone,
+        "This message has been forgotten",
+    ),
+}
+
+
 @dataclass
 class MessagePrice(DataClassJsonMixin):
     """Dataclass used to expose message required tokens."""
+
     required_tokens: Optional[Decimal] = None
 
 
-async def message_price(request: web.Request):
-    item_hash_str = request.match_info.get("item_hash")
+async def get_executable_message(session: DbSession, item_hash_str: str) -> MessageDb:
+    """Attempt to get an executable message from the database.
+    Raises an HTTP exception if the message is not found, not processed or is not an executable message.
+    """
+
+    # Parse the item_hash_str into an ItemHash object
     try:
         item_hash = ItemHash(item_hash_str)
     except ValueError:
-        raise web.HTTPUnprocessableEntity(body=f"Invalid message hash: {item_hash_str}")
+        raise web.HTTPBadRequest(body=f"Invalid message hash: {item_hash_str}")
+
+    # Get the message status from the database
+    message_status_db = get_message_status(session=session, item_hash=item_hash)
+    if not message_status_db:
+        raise web.HTTPNotFound()
+    # Loop through the status_exceptions to find a match and raise the corresponding exception
+    if message_status_db.status in MESSAGE_STATUS_EXCEPTIONS:
+        exception, message = MESSAGE_STATUS_EXCEPTIONS[message_status_db.status]
+        raise exception(body=f"{message}: {item_hash_str}")
+    assert message_status_db.status == MessageStatusDb.statuses.PROCESSED
+
+    # Get the message from the database
+    message = get_message_by_item_hash(session, item_hash)
+    if not message:
+        raise web.HTTPNotFound(body="Message not found, despite appearing as processed")
+    if message.type not in (MessageType.instance, MessageType.program):
+        raise web.HTTPBadRequest(
+            body=f"Message is not an executable message: {item_hash_str}"
+        )
+
+    return message
+
+
+async def message_price(request: web.Request):
+    """Returns the price of an executable message."""
 
     session_factory: DbSessionFactory = request.app["session_factory"]
     with session_factory() as session:
-        message_status_db = get_message_status(session=session, item_hash=item_hash)
-        if message_status_db is None:
-            raise web.HTTPNotFound()
-        message = get_message_by_item_hash(session, item_hash)
-
-        if not message or message.type != (MessageType.instance or MessageType.program):
-            raise web.HTTPUnprocessableEntity(
-                body=f"Invalid message hash: {item_hash_str}"
-            )
+        message = await get_executable_message(session, request.match_info["item_hash"])
 
-        content = message.parsed_content
+        content: ExecutableContent = message.parsed_content
 
         if content.payment and content.payment.is_stream:
             required_tokens = compute_flow_cost(session=session, content=content)