diff --git a/cmd/pkgserver/api.go b/cmd/pkgserver/api.go
index 810c99e..5c850dc 100644
--- a/cmd/pkgserver/api.go
+++ b/cmd/pkgserver/api.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
@@ -32,9 +33,8 @@ func serveInfo(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
 		infoPayload.Count = int(rosa.PresetUnexportedStart)
 		infoPayload.HakureiVersion = info.Version()
 	})
-	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
 	// TODO(mae): cache entire response if no additional fields are planned
-	WritePayload(w, infoPayload)
+	writeAPIPayload(w, infoPayload)
 }
 
 func (index *packageIndex) serveStatus() http.HandlerFunc {
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ func (index *packageIndex) serveStatus() http.HandlerFunc {
 			}
 
 			w.Header().Set("Cache-Control", "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate")
-			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
 			_, err := io.Copy(w, bytes.NewReader(pk.status))
 			if err != nil {
 				http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ func (index *packageIndex) serveGet() http.HandlerFunc {
 		}
 		values := index.sorts[sort][i:min(i+limit, len(index.sorts[sort]))]
 		// TODO(mae): remove count field
-		WritePayload(w, &struct {
+		writeAPIPayload(w, &struct {
 			Count  int         `json:"count"`
 			Values []*metadata `json:"values"`
 		}{len(values), values})
@@ -120,13 +119,19 @@ func apiRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux, index *packageIndex) {
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /status/", index.serveStatus())
 }
 
-func WritePayload(w http.ResponseWriter, payload any) {
+// writeAPIPayload sets headers common to API responses and encodes payload as
+// JSON for the response body.
+func writeAPIPayload(w http.ResponseWriter, payload any) {
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
 	w.Header().Set("Cache-Control", "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate")
 	w.Header().Set("Pragma", "no-cache")
 	w.Header().Set("Expires", "0")
-	err := json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(payload)
-	if err != nil {
-		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
+
+	if err := json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(payload); err != nil {
+		log.Println(err)
+		http.Error(
+			w, "cannot encode payload, contact maintainers",
+			http.StatusInternalServerError,
+		)
 	}
 }