diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 088e31f7d48..4dc38117eb7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ v 8.6.0 (unreleased)
   - Fix issue when pushing to projects ending in .wiki
   - Fix avatar stretching by providing a cropping feature (Johann Pardanaud)
   - Strip leading and trailing spaces in URL validator (evuez)
+  - Return empty array instead of 404 when commit has no statuses in commit status API
   - Update documentation to reflect Guest role not being enforced on internal projects
 
 v 8.5.2
diff --git a/lib/api/commit_statuses.rb b/lib/api/commit_statuses.rb
index 9422d438d21..8e74e177ea0 100644
--- a/lib/api/commit_statuses.rb
+++ b/lib/api/commit_statuses.rb
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ module API
       # Examples:
       #   GET /projects/:id/repository/commits/:sha/statuses
       get ':id/repository/commits/:sha/statuses' do
-        authorize! :read_commit_status, user_project
-        sha = params[:sha]
-        ci_commit = user_project.ci_commit(sha)
-        not_found! 'Commit' unless ci_commit
+        authorize!(:read_commit_status, user_project)
+
+        not_found!('Commit') unless user_project.commit(params[:sha])
+        ci_commit = user_project.ci_commit(params[:sha])
+        return [] unless ci_commit
+
         statuses = ci_commit.statuses
         statuses = statuses.latest unless parse_boolean(params[:all])
         statuses = statuses.where(ref: params[:ref]) if params[:ref].present?
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/commit_status_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/commit_status_spec.rb
index 89b554622ef..8017ed97d88 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/commit_status_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/commit_status_spec.rb
@@ -2,88 +2,125 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe API::CommitStatus, api: true do
   include ApiHelpers
+
   let!(:project) { create(:project) }
   let(:commit) { project.repository.commit }
-  let!(:ci_commit) { project.ensure_ci_commit(commit.id) }
   let(:commit_status) { create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit) }
   let(:guest) { create_user(ProjectMember::GUEST) }
   let(:reporter) { create_user(ProjectMember::REPORTER) }
   let(:developer) { create_user(ProjectMember::DEVELOPER) }
+  let(:sha) { commit.id }
+
 
   describe "GET /projects/:id/repository/commits/:sha/statuses" do
-    it_behaves_like 'a paginated resources' do
-      let(:request) { get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses", reporter) }
+    let(:get_url) { "/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{sha}/statuses" }
+
+    context 'ci commit exists' do
+      let!(:ci_commit) { project.ensure_ci_commit(commit.id) }
+
+      it_behaves_like 'a paginated resources' do
+        let(:request) { get api(get_url, reporter) }
+      end
+
+      context "reporter user" do
+        let(:statuses_id) { json_response.map { |status| status['id'] } }
+
+        def create_status(opts = {})
+          create(:commit_status, { commit: ci_commit }.merge(opts))
+        end
+
+        let!(:status1) { create_status(status: 'running') }
+        let!(:status2) { create_status(name: 'coverage', status: 'pending') }
+        let!(:status3) { create_status(ref: 'develop', status: 'running', allow_failure: true) }
+        let!(:status4) { create_status(name: 'coverage', status: 'success') }
+        let!(:status5) { create_status(name: 'coverage', ref: 'develop', status: 'success') }
+        let!(:status6) { create_status(status: 'success') }
+
+        context 'latest commit statuses' do
+          before { get api(get_url, reporter) }
+
+          it 'returns latest commit statuses' do
+            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+            expect(json_response).to be_an Array
+            expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(status3.id, status4.id, status5.id, status6.id)
+            json_response.sort_by!{ |status| status['id'] }
+            expect(json_response.map{ |status| status['allow_failure'] }).to eq([true, false, false, false])
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'all commit statuses' do
+          before { get api(get_url, reporter), all: 1 }
+
+          it 'returns all commit statuses' do
+            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+            expect(json_response).to be_an Array
+            expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(status1.id, status2.id,
+                                                   status3.id, status4.id,
+                                                   status5.id, status6.id)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'latest commit statuses for specific ref' do
+          before { get api(get_url, reporter), ref: 'develop' }
+
+          it 'returns latest commit statuses for specific ref' do
+            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+            expect(json_response).to be_an Array
+            expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(status3.id, status5.id)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'latest commit statues for specific name' do
+          before { get api(get_url, reporter), name: 'coverage' }
+
+          it 'return latest commit statuses for specific name' do
+            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+            expect(json_response).to be_an Array
+            expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(status4.id, status5.id)
+          end
+        end
+      end
     end
 
-    context "reporter user" do
-      let(:statuses_id) { json_response.map { |status| status['id'] } }
-
-      before do
-        @status1 = create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit, status: 'running')
-        @status2 = create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit, name: 'coverage', status: 'pending')
-        @status3 = create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit, name: 'coverage', ref: 'develop', status: 'running', allow_failure: true)
-        @status4 = create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit, name: 'coverage', status: 'success')
-        @status5 = create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit, ref: 'develop', status: 'success')
-        @status6 = create(:commit_status, commit: ci_commit, status: 'success')
-      end
-
-      it "should return latest commit statuses" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses", reporter)
-        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+    context 'ci commit does not exist' do
+      before { get api(get_url, reporter) }
 
+      it 'returns empty array' do
+        expect(response.status).to eq 200
         expect(json_response).to be_an Array
-        expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(@status3.id, @status4.id, @status5.id, @status6.id)
-        json_response.sort_by!{ |status| status['id'] }
-        expect(json_response.map{ |status| status['allow_failure'] }).to eq([true, false, false, false])
-      end
-
-      it "should return all commit statuses" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses?all=1", reporter)
-        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-
-        expect(json_response).to be_an Array
-        expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(@status1.id, @status2.id, @status3.id, @status4.id, @status5.id, @status6.id)
-      end
-
-      it "should return latest commit statuses for specific ref" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses?ref=develop", reporter)
-        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-
-        expect(json_response).to be_an Array
-        expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(@status3.id, @status5.id)
-      end
-
-      it "should return latest commit statuses for specific name" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses?name=coverage", reporter)
-        expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-
-        expect(json_response).to be_an Array
-        expect(statuses_id).to contain_exactly(@status3.id, @status4.id)
+        expect(json_response).to be_empty
       end
     end
 
     context "guest user" do
+      before { get api(get_url, guest) }
+
       it "should not return project commits" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses", guest)
         expect(response.status).to eq(403)
       end
     end
 
     context "unauthorized user" do
+      before { get api(get_url) }
+
       it "should not return project commits" do
-        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/repository/commits/#{commit.id}/statuses")
         expect(response.status).to eq(401)
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe 'POST /projects/:id/statuses/:sha' do
-    let(:post_url) { "/projects/#{project.id}/statuses/#{commit.id}" }
+    let(:post_url) { "/projects/#{project.id}/statuses/#{sha}" }
 
     context 'developer user' do
-      context 'should create commit status' do
-        it 'with only required parameters' do
-          post api(post_url, developer), state: 'success'
+      context 'only required parameters' do
+        before { post api(post_url, developer), state: 'success' }
+
+        it 'creates commit status' do
           expect(response.status).to eq(201)
           expect(json_response['sha']).to eq(commit.id)
           expect(json_response['status']).to eq('success')
@@ -92,9 +129,17 @@ describe API::CommitStatus, api: true do
           expect(json_response['target_url']).to be_nil
           expect(json_response['description']).to be_nil
         end
+      end
 
-        it 'with all optional parameters' do
-          post api(post_url, developer), state: 'success', context: 'coverage', ref: 'develop', target_url: 'url', description: 'test'
+      context 'with all optional parameters' do
+        before do
+          optional_params = { state: 'success', context: 'coverage',
+                              ref: 'develop', target_url: 'url', description: 'test' }
+
+          post api(post_url, developer), optional_params
+        end
+
+        it 'creates commit status' do
           expect(response.status).to eq(201)
           expect(json_response['sha']).to eq(commit.id)
           expect(json_response['status']).to eq('success')
@@ -105,41 +150,52 @@ describe API::CommitStatus, api: true do
         end
       end
 
-      context 'should not create commit status' do
-        it 'with invalid state' do
-          post api(post_url, developer), state: 'invalid'
+      context 'invalid status' do
+        before { post api(post_url, developer), state: 'invalid' }
+
+        it 'does not create commit status' do
           expect(response.status).to eq(400)
         end
+      end
 
-        it 'without state' do
-          post api(post_url, developer)
+      context 'request without state' do
+        before { post api(post_url, developer) }
+
+        it 'does not create commit status' do
           expect(response.status).to eq(400)
         end
+      end
 
-        it 'invalid commit' do
-          post api("/projects/#{project.id}/statuses/invalid_sha", developer), state: 'running'
+      context 'invalid commit' do
+        let(:sha) { 'invalid_sha' }
+        before { post api(post_url, developer), state: 'running' }
+
+        it 'returns not found error' do
           expect(response.status).to eq(404)
         end
       end
     end
 
     context 'reporter user' do
+      before { post api(post_url, reporter) }
+
       it 'should not create commit status' do
-        post api(post_url, reporter)
         expect(response.status).to eq(403)
       end
     end
 
     context 'guest user' do
+      before { post api(post_url, guest) }
+
       it 'should not create commit status' do
-        post api(post_url, guest)
         expect(response.status).to eq(403)
       end
     end
 
     context 'unauthorized user' do
+      before { post api(post_url) }
+
       it 'should not create commit status' do
-        post api(post_url)
         expect(response.status).to eq(401)
       end
     end