diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
index 165035285f4..6a116f99f13 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -474,6 +474,7 @@ class Projects::MergeRequestsController < Projects::ApplicationController
   end
 
   def pipeline_status
+    render json: {} and return unless @merge_request.head_pipeline.present?
     render json: PipelineSerializer
       .new(project: @project, user: @current_user)
       .represent_status(@merge_request.head_pipeline)
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/builds_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/builds_controller_spec.rb
index 2234b2e6131..683667129e5 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/builds_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/builds_controller_spec.rb
@@ -11,27 +11,23 @@ describe Projects::BuildsController do
   end
 
   describe 'GET status.json' do
-    context 'when accessing status' do
-      let(:status) do
-        Gitlab::Ci::Status::Success.new(double('object'), double('user'))
-      end
+    let(:pipeline) { create(:ci_pipeline, project: project) }
+    let(:build) { create(:ci_build, pipeline: pipeline) }
+    let(:status) { build.detailed_status(double('user')) }
 
-      before do
-        pipeline = create(:ci_pipeline, project: project)
-        build = create(:ci_build, pipeline: pipeline, status: :success)
-        get :status, namespace_id: project.namespace,
-                     project_id: project,
-                     id: build.id,
-                     format: :json
-      end
+    before do
+      get :status, namespace_id: project.namespace,
+                   project_id: project,
+                   id: build.id,
+                   format: :json
+    end
 
-      it 'return a correct pipeline status' do
-        expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
-        expect(json_response['text']).to eq status.text
-        expect(json_response['label']).to eq status.label
-        expect(json_response['icon']).to eq status.icon
-        expect(json_response['favicon']).to eq status.favicon
-      end
+    it 'return a detailed build status in json' do
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      expect(json_response['text']).to eq status.text
+      expect(json_response['label']).to eq status.label
+      expect(json_response['icon']).to eq status.icon
+      expect(json_response['favicon']).to eq status.favicon
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
index 9fa509c339e..72f41f7209a 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
@@ -1180,23 +1180,18 @@ describe Projects::MergeRequestsController do
   end
 
   describe 'GET pipeline_status.json' do
-    context 'when accessing pipeline_status' do
-      let(:status) do
-        Gitlab::Ci::Status::Success.new(double('object'), double('user'))
-      end
-
-      before do
+    context 'when head_pipeline exists' do
+      let!(:pipeline) do
         create(:ci_pipeline, project: merge_request.source_project,
                              ref: merge_request.source_branch,
-                             sha: merge_request.diff_head_sha,
-                             status: :success)
-        get :pipeline_status, namespace_id: project.namespace,
-                              project_id: project,
-                              id: merge_request.iid,
-                              format: :json
+                             sha: merge_request.diff_head_sha)
       end
 
-      it 'return a correct pipeline status' do
+      let(:status) { pipeline.detailed_status(double('user')) }
+
+      before { get_pipeline_status }
+
+      it 'return a detailed head_pipeline status in json' do
         expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
         expect(json_response['text']).to eq status.text
         expect(json_response['label']).to eq status.label
@@ -1204,5 +1199,21 @@ describe Projects::MergeRequestsController do
         expect(json_response['favicon']).to eq status.favicon
       end
     end
+
+    context 'when head_pipeline does not exist' do
+      before { get_pipeline_status }
+
+      it 'return empty' do
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+        expect(json_response).to be_empty
+      end
+    end
+
+    def get_pipeline_status
+      get :pipeline_status, namespace_id: project.namespace,
+                            project_id: project,
+                            id: merge_request.iid,
+                            format: :json
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_controller_spec.rb
index 9ce8f8e8da1..d8f9bfd0d37 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_controller_spec.rb
@@ -71,26 +71,22 @@ describe Projects::PipelinesController do
   end
 
   describe 'GET status.json' do
-    context 'when accessing status' do
-      let(:status) do
-        Gitlab::Ci::Status::Success.new(double('object'), double('user'))
-      end
+    let(:pipeline) { create(:ci_pipeline, project: project) }
+    let(:status) { pipeline.detailed_status(double('user')) }
 
-      before do
-        pipeline = create(:ci_pipeline, project: project, status: :success)
-        get :status, namespace_id: project.namespace,
-                     project_id: project,
-                     id: pipeline.id,
-                     format: :json
-      end
+    before do
+      get :status, namespace_id: project.namespace,
+                   project_id: project,
+                   id: pipeline.id,
+                   format: :json
+    end
 
-      it 'return a correct pipeline status' do
-        expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
-        expect(json_response['text']).to eq status.text
-        expect(json_response['label']).to eq status.label
-        expect(json_response['icon']).to eq status.icon
-        expect(json_response['favicon']).to eq status.favicon
-      end
+    it 'return a detailed pipeline status in json' do
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      expect(json_response['text']).to eq status.text
+      expect(json_response['label']).to eq status.label
+      expect(json_response['icon']).to eq status.icon
+      expect(json_response['favicon']).to eq status.favicon
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/serializers/build_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/build_serializer_spec.rb
index 5a55d9d7dc1..3cc791bca50 100644
--- a/spec/serializers/build_serializer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/serializers/build_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -29,10 +29,8 @@ describe BuildSerializer do
 
   describe '#represent_status' do
     context 'when represents only status' do
-      let(:status) do
-        Gitlab::Ci::Status::Success.new(double('object'), double('user'))
-      end
-      let(:resource) { create(:ci_build, status: :success) }
+      let(:resource) { create(:ci_build) }
+      let(:status) { resource.detailed_status(double('user')) }
 
       subject { serializer.represent_status(resource) }
 
diff --git a/spec/serializers/pipeline_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/pipeline_serializer_spec.rb
index 261f2152c22..8642b803844 100644
--- a/spec/serializers/pipeline_serializer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/serializers/pipeline_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -97,10 +97,8 @@ describe PipelineSerializer do
 
   describe '#represent_status' do
     context 'when represents only status' do
-      let(:status) do
-        Gitlab::Ci::Status::Success.new(double('object'), double('user'))
-      end
-      let(:resource) { create(:ci_pipeline, status: :success) }
+      let(:resource) { create(:ci_pipeline) }
+      let(:status) { resource.detailed_status(double('user')) }
 
       subject { serializer.represent_status(resource) }