diff --git a/src/Handler/Course.hs b/src/Handler/Course.hs
index c6655dc36..6862c8bda 100644
--- a/src/Handler/Course.hs
+++ b/src/Handler/Course.hs
@@ -43,38 +43,7 @@ postCFavouriteR tid ssh csh = do
   runDB $ do
     -- Nothing means blacklist
     -- should never return FavouriteCurrent
-    currentReason <- withReaderT (projectBackend @SqlReadBackend) . E.select . E.from $ \(course `E.LeftOuterJoin` courseFavourite) -> do
-      E.on $ E.just (course E.^. CourseId) E.==. courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteCourse
-            E.&&. courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteUser E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-      E.where_ $  course E.^. CourseTerm E.==. E.val tid
-            E.&&. course E.^. CourseSchool E.==. E.val ssh
-            E.&&. course E.^. CourseShorthand E.==. E.val csh
-      E.limit 1 -- we know that there is at most one match, but we tell the DB this info too
-      let isBlacklist = E.exists . E.from $ \courseNoFavourite ->
-              E.where_ $ E.just (courseNoFavourite E.^. CourseNoFavouriteUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-                   E.&&. courseNoFavourite E.^. CourseNoFavouriteCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-          isParticipant = E.exists . E.from $ \participant ->
-            E.where_ $ participant E.^. CourseParticipantCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-                  E.&&. E.just (participant E.^. CourseParticipantUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-                  E.&&. participant E.^. CourseParticipantState E.==. E.val CourseParticipantActive
-          isLecturer = E.exists . E.from $ \lecturer ->
-            E.where_ $ lecturer E.^. LecturerCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-                  E.&&. E.just (lecturer E.^. LecturerUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-          isCorrector = E.exists . E.from $ \(corrector `E.InnerJoin` sheet) -> do
-            E.on $ corrector E.^. SheetCorrectorSheet E.==. sheet E.^. SheetId
-              E.&&. sheet E.^. SheetCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-            E.where_ $ E.just (corrector E.^. SheetCorrectorUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-          isTutor = E.exists . E.from $ \(tutor `E.InnerJoin` tutorial) -> do
-            E.on $ tutor E.^. TutorTutorial E.==. tutorial E.^. TutorialId
-              E.&&. tutorial E.^. TutorialCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-            E.where_ $ E.just (tutor E.^. TutorUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-          isAssociated = isParticipant E.||. isLecturer E.||. isCorrector E.||. isTutor
-
-          reason = E.case_
-              [ E.when_ isBlacklist E.then_ E.nothing,
-                E.when_ isAssociated E.then_ . E.just . E.val $ Just FavouriteParticipant
-              ] (E.else_ . E.just $ courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteReason)
-      pure reason
+    currentReason <- storedFavouriteReason tid ssh csh muid
     -- TODO change stored reason in DB
     -- TODO participants can't remove favourite (only toggle between automatic/manual)?
     pure ()
diff --git a/src/Handler/Course/Show.hs b/src/Handler/Course/Show.hs
index 74feea6a3..ccfa23ef1 100644
--- a/src/Handler/Course/Show.hs
+++ b/src/Handler/Course/Show.hs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 module Handler.Course.Show
   ( getCShowR
   , getCRegisterTemplateR, courseRegisterTemplateSource
+  , storedFavouriteReason
   ) where
 
 import Import
@@ -58,13 +59,54 @@ courseFavouriteToggleForm currentReason html
       (Just FavouriteManual) -> BtnCourseFavouriteToggleManual
       (Just FavouriteCurrent) -> BtnCourseFavouriteToggleAutomatic
 
+-- Nothing means blacklist
+-- Will never return FavouriteCurrent
+storedFavouriteReason :: (MonadIO m) => TermId -> SchoolId -> CourseShorthand -> Maybe (AuthId UniWorX, AuthEntity UniWorX)
+                        -> ReaderT SqlBackend m (Maybe FavouriteReason)
+storedFavouriteReason tid ssh csh muid = fmap unValueFirst . E.select . E.from $ \(course `E.LeftOuterJoin` courseFavourite) -> do
+      E.on $ E.just (course E.^. CourseId) E.==. courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteCourse
+            E.&&. courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteUser E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
+      E.where_ $  course E.^. CourseTerm E.==. E.val tid
+            E.&&. course E.^. CourseSchool E.==. E.val ssh
+            E.&&. course E.^. CourseShorthand E.==. E.val csh
+      E.limit 1 -- we know that there is at most one match, but we tell the DB this info too
+      let isBlacklist = E.exists . E.from $ \courseNoFavourite ->
+              E.where_ $ E.just (courseNoFavourite E.^. CourseNoFavouriteUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
+                   E.&&. courseNoFavourite E.^. CourseNoFavouriteCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
+          isParticipant = E.exists . E.from $ \participant ->
+            E.where_ $ participant E.^. CourseParticipantCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
+                  E.&&. E.just (participant E.^. CourseParticipantUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
+                  E.&&. participant E.^. CourseParticipantState E.==. E.val CourseParticipantActive
+          isLecturer = E.exists . E.from $ \lecturer ->
+            E.where_ $ lecturer E.^. LecturerCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
+                  E.&&. E.just (lecturer E.^. LecturerUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
+          isCorrector = E.exists . E.from $ \(corrector `E.InnerJoin` sheet) -> do
+            E.on $ corrector E.^. SheetCorrectorSheet E.==. sheet E.^. SheetId
+              E.&&. sheet E.^. SheetCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
+            E.where_ $ E.just (corrector E.^. SheetCorrectorUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
+          isTutor = E.exists . E.from $ \(tutor `E.InnerJoin` tutorial) -> do
+            E.on $ tutor E.^. TutorTutorial E.==. tutorial E.^. TutorialId
+              E.&&. tutorial E.^. TutorialCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
+            E.where_ $ E.just (tutor E.^. TutorUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
+          isAssociated = isParticipant E.||. isLecturer E.||. isCorrector E.||. isTutor
+
+          reason :: E.SqlExpr (E.Value (Maybe FavouriteReason))
+          reason = E.case_
+              [ E.when_ isBlacklist E.then_ E.nothing,
+                E.when_ isAssociated E.then_ . E.just $ E.val FavouriteParticipant
+              ] (E.else_ . E.just $ E.coalesceDefault [courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteReason] (E.val FavouriteVisited))
+      pure reason
+  where
+    unValueFirst :: [E.Value (Maybe a)] -> Maybe a
+    unValueFirst = join . fmap E.unValue . listToMaybe
+
 -- TODO add toggle Manual favorite Icon here
 getCShowR :: TermId -> SchoolId -> CourseShorthand -> Handler Html
 getCShowR tid ssh csh = do
   mbAid <- maybeAuthId
   muid <- maybeAuthPair
   now <- liftIO getCurrentTime
-  (cid,course,courseVisible,schoolName,participants,registration,lecturers,assistants,correctors,tutors,mAllocation,mApplicationTemplate,mApplication,news,events,submissionGroup,hasAllocationRegistrationOpen,mayReRegister,(mayViewSheets, mayViewAnySheet), (mayViewMaterials, mayViewAnyMaterial), favouriteReason') <- runDB . maybeT notFound $ do
+  (cid,course,courseVisible,schoolName,participants,registration,lecturers,assistants,correctors,tutors,mAllocation,mApplicationTemplate,mApplication,news,events,submissionGroup,hasAllocationRegistrationOpen,mayReRegister,(mayViewSheets, mayViewAnySheet), (mayViewMaterials, mayViewAnyMaterial), favouriteReason) <- runDB . maybeT notFound $ do
     [(E.Entity cid course, E.Value courseVisible, E.Value schoolName, E.Value participants, fmap entityVal -> registration, E.Value hasAllocationRegistrationOpen)]
        <- lift . E.select . E.from $
          \((school `E.InnerJoin` course) `E.LeftOuterJoin` participant) -> do
@@ -168,40 +210,7 @@ getCShowR tid ssh csh = do
     mayViewAnyMaterial <- lift . anyM materials $ \(E.Value mnm) -> hasReadAccessTo $ CMaterialR tid ssh csh mnm MShowR
 
 
-    -- Nothing means blacklist
-    -- inner maybe is reason stored in database
-    favouriteReason <- lift . E.select . E.from $ \(course `E.LeftOuterJoin` courseFavourite) -> do
-      E.on $ E.just (course E.^. CourseId) E.==. courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteCourse
-            E.&&. courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteUser E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-      E.where_ $  course E.^. CourseTerm E.==. E.val tid
-            E.&&. course E.^. CourseSchool E.==. E.val ssh
-            E.&&. course E.^. CourseShorthand E.==. E.val csh
-      E.limit 1 -- we know that there is at most one match, but we tell the DB this info too
-      let isBlacklist = E.exists . E.from $ \courseNoFavourite ->
-              E.where_ $ E.just (courseNoFavourite E.^. CourseNoFavouriteUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-                   E.&&. courseNoFavourite E.^. CourseNoFavouriteCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-          isParticipant = E.exists . E.from $ \participant ->
-            E.where_ $ participant E.^. CourseParticipantCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-                  E.&&. E.just (participant E.^. CourseParticipantUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-                  E.&&. participant E.^. CourseParticipantState E.==. E.val CourseParticipantActive
-          isLecturer = E.exists . E.from $ \lecturer ->
-            E.where_ $ lecturer E.^. LecturerCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-                  E.&&. E.just (lecturer E.^. LecturerUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-          isCorrector = E.exists . E.from $ \(corrector `E.InnerJoin` sheet) -> do
-            E.on $ corrector E.^. SheetCorrectorSheet E.==. sheet E.^. SheetId
-              E.&&. sheet E.^. SheetCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-            E.where_ $ E.just (corrector E.^. SheetCorrectorUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-          isTutor = E.exists . E.from $ \(tutor `E.InnerJoin` tutorial) -> do
-            E.on $ tutor E.^. TutorTutorial E.==. tutorial E.^. TutorialId
-              E.&&. tutorial E.^. TutorialCourse E.==. course E.^. CourseId
-            E.where_ $ E.just (tutor E.^. TutorUser) E.==. E.val (view _1 <$> muid)
-          isAssociated = isParticipant E.||. isLecturer E.||. isCorrector E.||. isTutor
-
-          reason = E.case_
-              [ E.when_ isBlacklist E.then_ E.nothing,
-                E.when_ isAssociated E.then_ . E.just . E.val $ Just FavouriteParticipant
-              ] (E.else_ . E.just $ courseFavourite E.?. CourseFavouriteReason)
-      pure reason
+    favouriteReason <- lift $ storedFavouriteReason tid ssh csh muid
 
     return (cid,course,courseVisible,schoolName,participants,registration,lecturers,assistants,correctors,tutors,mAllocation,mApplicationTemplate,mApplication,news,events,submissionGroup,hasAllocationRegistrationOpen,mayReRegister, (mayViewSheets, mayViewAnySheet), (mayViewMaterials, mayViewAnyMaterial), favouriteReason)
 
@@ -329,11 +338,6 @@ getCShowR tid ssh csh = do
   mayCreateEvents <- hasWriteAccessTo $ CourseR tid ssh csh CEventsNewR
   mayEdit <- hasWriteAccessTo $ CourseR tid ssh csh CEditR
 
-  let favouriteReason = case favouriteReason' of
-        [E.Value Nothing] -> Nothing
-        [E.Value (Just (Just reason))] -> Just reason
-        -- should only be [E.Value (Just Nothing)]
-        _otherwise -> Just FavouriteVisited
   favouriteToggleRes <- runFormPost $ courseFavouriteToggleForm favouriteReason
   let favouriteToggleWgt = favouriteToggleRes & \((_, favouriteToggleView), favouriteToggleEncoding) ->
         wrapForm favouriteToggleView def