diff --git a/src/helpers.zig b/src/helpers.zig
index c3f2aa9..2c92d1b 100644
--- a/src/helpers.zig
+++ b/src/helpers.zig
@@ -365,3 +365,11 @@ pub fn sanitize(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, path: []const u8) ![]u8 {
     // replace double slash (//) with single slash (/)
     return buf[0..std.mem.collapseRepeatsLen(u8, buf, '/')];
 }
+
+pub fn try_path(conn: *Connection, dir: std.Io.Dir, path: ?[]const u8) !bool {
+    sendfile(conn, dir, path orelse conn.path) catch |err| switch (err) {
+        error.FileNotFound => return false,
+        else => return err,
+    };
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/root.zig b/src/root.zig
index 702ef33..9662dba 100644
--- a/src/root.zig
+++ b/src/root.zig
@@ -153,38 +153,21 @@ fn handle_fs(conn: *Connection) !void {
     const build_dir = try std.Io.Dir.openDirAbsolute(io, config.buildroot, .{});
     defer build_dir.close(io);
 
-    try_build: {
-        return helpers.sendfile(conn, build_dir, conn.path) catch |err| switch (err) {
-            error.FileNotFound => break :try_build,
-            else => return err,
-        };
+    if (std.mem.eql(u8, conn.path, "/")) {
+        if (try helpers.try_path(conn, build_dir, "/index.html")) return;
+        return error.FileNotFound;
     }
 
-    try_build_index_html: {
-        if (std.mem.eql(u8, conn.path, "/")) {
-            return helpers.sendfile(conn, build_dir, "/index.html") catch |err| switch (err) {
-                error.FileNotFound => break :try_build_index_html,
-                else => return err,
-            };
-        }
-
-        const path = try std.mem.join(allocator, "/", &.{ conn.path, "index.html" });
-        defer allocator.free(path);
-        return helpers.sendfile(conn, build_dir, path) catch |err| switch (err) {
-            error.FileNotFound => break :try_build_index_html,
-            else => return err,
-        };
-    }
+    if (try helpers.try_path(conn, build_dir, null)) return;
+
+    const path = try std.mem.join(allocator, "/", &.{ conn.path, "index.html" });
+    defer allocator.free(path);
+    if (try helpers.try_path(conn, build_dir, path)) return;
 
     const static_dir = try std.Io.Dir.openDirAbsolute(io, config.staticroot, .{});
     defer static_dir.close(io);
 
-    try_static: {
-        return helpers.sendfile(conn, static_dir, conn.path) catch |err| switch (err) {
-            error.FileNotFound => break :try_static,
-            else => return err,
-        };
-    }
+    if (try helpers.try_path(conn, static_dir, null)) return;
 
     return error.FileNotFound;
 }