diff --git a/services/clsi/app.js b/services/clsi/app.js
index b22e0a016f..ff5d70e7bd 100644
--- a/services/clsi/app.js
+++ b/services/clsi/app.js
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ app.get('/smoke_test_force', (req, res) => smokeTest.sendNewResult(res))
 
 app.use(function(error, req, res, next) {
   if (error instanceof Errors.NotFoundError) {
-    logger.warn({ err: error, url: req.url }, 'not found error')
+    logger.log({ err: error, url: req.url }, 'not found error')
     return res.sendStatus(404)
   } else if (error.code === 'EPIPE') {
     // inspect container returns EPIPE when shutting down
diff --git a/services/clsi/app/js/CompileManager.js b/services/clsi/app/js/CompileManager.js
index 614c49aaf7..4b0cff6323 100644
--- a/services/clsi/app/js/CompileManager.js
+++ b/services/clsi/app/js/CompileManager.js
@@ -430,30 +430,18 @@ module.exports = CompileManager = {
     const compileDir = getCompileDir(project_id, user_id)
     const synctex_path = `${base_dir}/output.pdf`
     const command = ['code', synctex_path, file_path, line, column]
-    return fse.ensureDir(compileDir, function(error) {
+    CompileManager._runSynctex(project_id, user_id, command, function(
+      error,
+      stdout
+    ) {
       if (error != null) {
-        logger.err(
-          { error, project_id, user_id, file_name },
-          'error ensuring dir for sync from code'
-        )
         return callback(error)
       }
-      return CompileManager._runSynctex(project_id, user_id, command, function(
-        error,
-        stdout
-      ) {
-        if (error != null) {
-          return callback(error)
-        }
-        logger.log(
-          { project_id, user_id, file_name, line, column, command, stdout },
-          'synctex code output'
-        )
-        return callback(
-          null,
-          CompileManager._parseSynctexFromCodeOutput(stdout)
-        )
-      })
+      logger.log(
+        { project_id, user_id, file_name, line, column, command, stdout },
+        'synctex code output'
+      )
+      return callback(null, CompileManager._parseSynctexFromCodeOutput(stdout))
     })
   },
 
@@ -466,53 +454,39 @@ module.exports = CompileManager = {
     const base_dir = Settings.path.synctexBaseDir(compileName)
     const synctex_path = `${base_dir}/output.pdf`
     const command = ['pdf', synctex_path, page, h, v]
-    return fse.ensureDir(compileDir, function(error) {
+    CompileManager._runSynctex(project_id, user_id, command, function(
+      error,
+      stdout
+    ) {
       if (error != null) {
-        logger.err(
-          { error, project_id, user_id, file_name },
-          'error ensuring dir for sync to code'
-        )
         return callback(error)
       }
-      return CompileManager._runSynctex(project_id, user_id, command, function(
-        error,
-        stdout
-      ) {
-        if (error != null) {
-          return callback(error)
-        }
-        logger.log(
-          { project_id, user_id, page, h, v, stdout },
-          'synctex pdf output'
-        )
-        return callback(
-          null,
-          CompileManager._parseSynctexFromPdfOutput(stdout, base_dir)
-        )
-      })
+      logger.log(
+        { project_id, user_id, page, h, v, stdout },
+        'synctex pdf output'
+      )
+      return callback(
+        null,
+        CompileManager._parseSynctexFromPdfOutput(stdout, base_dir)
+      )
     })
   },
 
-  _checkFileExists(path, callback) {
+  _checkFileExists(dir, filename, callback) {
     if (callback == null) {
       callback = function(error) {}
     }
-    const synctexDir = Path.dirname(path)
-    const synctexFile = Path.join(synctexDir, 'output.synctex.gz')
-    return fs.stat(synctexDir, function(error, stats) {
+    const file = Path.join(dir, filename)
+    return fs.stat(dir, function(error, stats) {
       if ((error != null ? error.code : undefined) === 'ENOENT') {
-        return callback(
-          new Errors.NotFoundError('called synctex with no output directory')
-        )
+        return callback(new Errors.NotFoundError('no output directory'))
       }
       if (error != null) {
         return callback(error)
       }
-      return fs.stat(synctexFile, function(error, stats) {
+      return fs.stat(file, function(error, stats) {
         if ((error != null ? error.code : undefined) === 'ENOENT') {
-          return callback(
-            new Errors.NotFoundError('called synctex with no output file')
-          )
+          return callback(new Errors.NotFoundError('no output file'))
         }
         if (error != null) {
           return callback(error)
@@ -536,24 +510,29 @@ module.exports = CompileManager = {
     const directory = getCompileDir(project_id, user_id)
     const timeout = 60 * 1000 // increased to allow for large projects
     const compileName = getCompileName(project_id, user_id)
-    return CommandRunner.run(
-      compileName,
-      command,
-      directory,
-      Settings.clsi != null ? Settings.clsi.docker.image : undefined,
-      timeout,
-      {},
-      function(error, output) {
-        if (error != null) {
-          logger.err(
-            { err: error, command, project_id, user_id },
-            'error running synctex'
-          )
-          return callback(error)
-        }
-        return callback(null, output.stdout)
+    CompileManager._checkFileExists(directory, 'output.synctex.gz', error => {
+      if (error) {
+        return callback(error)
       }
-    )
+      return CommandRunner.run(
+        compileName,
+        command,
+        directory,
+        Settings.clsi != null ? Settings.clsi.docker.image : undefined,
+        timeout,
+        {},
+        function(error, output) {
+          if (error != null) {
+            logger.err(
+              { err: error, command, project_id, user_id },
+              'error running synctex'
+            )
+            return callback(error)
+          }
+          return callback(null, output.stdout)
+        }
+      )
+    })
   },
 
   _parseSynctexFromCodeOutput(output) {
diff --git a/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/SynctexTests.js b/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/SynctexTests.js
index 4860c6040c..1140f3fade 100644
--- a/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/SynctexTests.js
+++ b/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/SynctexTests.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ Hello world
     })
   })
 
-  return describe('from pdf to code', function() {
+  describe('from pdf to code', function() {
     return it('should return the correct location', function(done) {
       return Client.syncFromPdf(
         this.project_id,
@@ -88,4 +88,104 @@ Hello world
       )
     })
   })
+
+  describe('when the project directory is not available', function() {
+    before(function() {
+      this.other_project_id = Client.randomId()
+    })
+    describe('from code to pdf', function() {
+      it('should return a 404 response', function(done) {
+        return Client.syncFromCode(
+          this.other_project_id,
+          'main.tex',
+          3,
+          5,
+          (error, body) => {
+            if (error != null) {
+              throw error
+            }
+            expect(body).to.equal('Not Found')
+            return done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+    describe('from pdf to code', function() {
+      it('should return a 404 response', function(done) {
+        return Client.syncFromPdf(
+          this.other_project_id,
+          1,
+          100,
+          200,
+          (error, body) => {
+            if (error != null) {
+              throw error
+            }
+            expect(body).to.equal('Not Found')
+            return done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('when the synctex file is not available', function() {
+    before(function(done) {
+      this.broken_project_id = Client.randomId()
+      const content = 'this is not valid tex' // not a valid tex file
+      this.request = {
+        resources: [
+          {
+            path: 'main.tex',
+            content
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+      Client.compile(
+        this.broken_project_id,
+        this.request,
+        (error, res, body) => {
+          this.error = error
+          this.res = res
+          this.body = body
+          return done()
+        }
+      )
+    })
+
+    describe('from code to pdf', function() {
+      it('should return a 404 response', function(done) {
+        return Client.syncFromCode(
+          this.broken_project_id,
+          'main.tex',
+          3,
+          5,
+          (error, body) => {
+            if (error != null) {
+              throw error
+            }
+            expect(body).to.equal('Not Found')
+            return done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+    describe('from pdf to code', function() {
+      it('should return a 404 response', function(done) {
+        return Client.syncFromPdf(
+          this.broken_project_id,
+          1,
+          100,
+          200,
+          (error, body) => {
+            if (error != null) {
+              throw error
+            }
+            expect(body).to.equal('Not Found')
+            return done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/helpers/Client.js b/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/helpers/Client.js
index 9f430e3535..d65941671a 100644
--- a/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/helpers/Client.js
+++ b/services/clsi/test/acceptance/js/helpers/Client.js
@@ -81,13 +81,14 @@ module.exports = Client = {
           file,
           line,
           column
-        }
+        },
+        json: true
       },
       (error, response, body) => {
         if (error != null) {
           return callback(error)
         }
-        return callback(null, JSON.parse(body))
+        return callback(null, body)
       }
     )
   },
@@ -103,13 +104,14 @@ module.exports = Client = {
           page,
           h,
           v
-        }
+        },
+        json: true
       },
       (error, response, body) => {
         if (error != null) {
           return callback(error)
         }
-        return callback(null, JSON.parse(body))
+        return callback(null, body)
       }
     )
   },