diff --git a/src/components/courses/CoursesPage.js b/src/components/courses/CoursesPage.js
index 6e73725..973cfd2 100644
--- a/src/components/courses/CoursesPage.js
+++ b/src/components/courses/CoursesPage.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function mapStateToProps(state) {
             };
           }),
     authors: state.authors,
-    loading: state.apiCallsInProgress > 0
+    loading: state.ajaxCallsInProgress > 0
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/features/system/actionCreators.js b/src/features/system/actionCreators.js
index a1de755..cb303d3 100644
--- a/src/features/system/actionCreators.js
+++ b/src/features/system/actionCreators.js
@@ -1,18 +1,13 @@
 import * as types from "./actionTypes";
 import api from "./api";
-import {
-  beginApiCall,
-  apiCallError
-} from "../../redux/actions/apiStatusActions";
+import { sendHttpRequest } from "../../redux/actions/httpActions";
 
 export function loadSystemDateTime() {
   return async function (dispatch) {
-    dispatch(beginApiCall());
     try {
-      const data = await api.getSystemDateTime();
+      const data = await dispatch(sendHttpRequest(api.getSystemDateTime()));
       dispatch({ type: types.LOAD_SYSTEM_DATETIME_SUCCESS, payload: data });
     } catch (error) {
-      dispatch(apiCallError(error));
       throw error;
     }
   };
@@ -20,12 +15,10 @@ export function loadSystemDateTime() {
 
 export function loadSystemVersion() {
   return async function (dispatch) {
-    dispatch(beginApiCall());
     try {
-      const data = await api.getSystemVersion();
+      const data = await dispatch(sendHttpRequest(api.getSystemVersion()));
       dispatch({ type: types.LOAD_SYSTEM_VERSION_SUCCESS, payload: data });
     } catch (error) {
-      dispatch(apiCallError(error));
       throw error;
     }
   };
@@ -33,12 +26,10 @@ export function loadSystemVersion() {
 
 export function loadReleaseNotes() {
   return async function (dispatch) {
-    dispatch(beginApiCall());
     try {
-      const data = await api.getReleaseNotes();
+      const data = await dispatch(sendHttpRequest(api.getReleaseNotes()));
       dispatch({ type: types.LOAD_RELEASE_NOTES_SUCCESS, payload: data });
     } catch (error) {
-      dispatch(apiCallError(error));
       throw error;
     }
   };
diff --git a/src/redux/actions/actionTypes.js b/src/redux/actions/actionTypes.js
index 612614e..dde65a7 100644
--- a/src/redux/actions/actionTypes.js
+++ b/src/redux/actions/actionTypes.js
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ export const LOAD_COURSES_SUCCESS = "LOAD_COURSES_SUCCESS";
 export const LOAD_AUTHORS_SUCCESS = "LOAD_AUTHORS_SUCCESS";
 export const CREATE_COURSE_SUCCESS = "CREATE_COURSE_SUCCESS";
 export const UPDATE_COURSE_SUCCESS = "UPDATE_COURSE_SUCCESS";
-export const BEGIN_API_CALL = "BEGIN_API_CALL";
-export const API_CALL_ERROR = "API_CALL_ERROR";
 
 // By convention, actions that end in "_SUCCESS" are assumed to have been the result of a completed
 // API call. But since we're doing an optimistic delete, we're hiding loading state.
@@ -12,3 +10,7 @@ export const API_CALL_ERROR = "API_CALL_ERROR";
 // If it had one, our apiCallsInProgress counter would be decremented below zero
 // because we're not incrementing the number of apiCallInProgress when the delete request begins.
 export const DELETE_COURSE_OPTIMISTIC = "DELETE_COURSE_OPTIMISTIC";
+
+export const BEGIN_AJAX_CALL = "BEGIN_AJAX_CALL";
+export const AJAX_CALL_ERROR = "AJAX_CALL_ERROR";
+export const END_AJAX_CALL = "END_AJAX_CALL";
diff --git a/src/redux/actions/apiStatusActions.js b/src/redux/actions/apiStatusActions.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 743d91a..0000000
--- a/src/redux/actions/apiStatusActions.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-import * as types from "./actionTypes";
-
-export function beginApiCall() {
-  return { type: types.BEGIN_API_CALL };
-}
-
-export function apiCallError() {
-  return { type: types.API_CALL_ERROR };
-}
diff --git a/src/redux/actions/authorActions.js b/src/redux/actions/authorActions.js
index a636086..0e49bfc 100644
--- a/src/redux/actions/authorActions.js
+++ b/src/redux/actions/authorActions.js
@@ -1,22 +1,18 @@
 import * as types from "./actionTypes";
 import * as authorApi from "../../api/authorApi";
-import { beginApiCall, apiCallError } from "./apiStatusActions";
+import { sendHttpRequest } from "../actions/httpActions";
 
 function loadAuthorsSuccess(authors) {
   return { type: types.LOAD_AUTHORS_SUCCESS, authors };
 }
 
 export function loadAuthors() {
-  return function (dispatch) {
-    dispatch(beginApiCall());
-    return authorApi
-      .getAuthors()
-      .then((authors) => {
-        dispatch(loadAuthorsSuccess(authors));
-      })
-      .catch((error) => {
-        dispatch(apiCallError(error));
-        throw error;
-      });
+  return async function (dispatch) {
+    try {
+      const authors = await dispatch(sendHttpRequest(authorApi.getAuthors()));
+      dispatch(loadAuthorsSuccess(authors));
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw error;
+    }
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/redux/actions/courseActions.js b/src/redux/actions/courseActions.js
index b59760c..59278c9 100644
--- a/src/redux/actions/courseActions.js
+++ b/src/redux/actions/courseActions.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as types from "./actionTypes";
 import * as courseApi from "../../api/courseApi";
-import { beginApiCall, apiCallError } from "./apiStatusActions";
+import { sendHttpRequest } from "../actions/httpActions";
 
 function loadCoursesSuccess(courses) {
   return { type: types.LOAD_COURSES_SUCCESS, courses };
@@ -20,14 +20,11 @@ export function deleteCourseOptimistic(course) {
 
 export function loadCourses() {
   return function (dispatch) {
-    dispatch(beginApiCall());
-    return courseApi
-      .getCourses()
+    return dispatch(sendHttpRequest(courseApi.getCourses()))
       .then((courses) => {
         dispatch(loadCoursesSuccess(courses));
       })
       .catch((error) => {
-        dispatch(apiCallError(error));
         throw error;
       });
   };
@@ -36,16 +33,13 @@ export function loadCourses() {
 export function saveCourse(course) {
   //eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
   return function (dispatch, getState) {
-    dispatch(beginApiCall());
-    return courseApi
-      .saveCourse(course)
+    return dispatch(sendHttpRequest(courseApi.saveCourse(course)))
       .then((savedCourse) => {
         course.id
           ? dispatch(updateCourseSuccess(savedCourse))
           : dispatch(createCourseSuccess(savedCourse));
       })
       .catch((error) => {
-        dispatch(apiCallError(error));
         throw error;
       });
   };
diff --git a/src/redux/actions/httpActions.js b/src/redux/actions/httpActions.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fb746a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/redux/actions/httpActions.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import * as types from "./actionTypes";
+
+function beginAjaxCall() {
+  return { type: types.BEGIN_AJAX_CALL };
+}
+
+function ajaxCallError() {
+  return { type: types.AJAX_CALL_ERROR };
+}
+
+function endAjaxCall() {
+  return { type: types.END_AJAX_CALL };
+}
+
+export function sendHttpRequest(ajaxProm) {
+  return async (dispatch) => {
+    dispatch(beginAjaxCall());
+    try {
+      const result = await ajaxProm;
+      dispatch(endAjaxCall());
+      return result;
+    } catch (error) {
+      dispatch(ajaxCallError(error));
+      throw error;
+    }
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/redux/reducers/ajaxStatusReducer.js b/src/redux/reducers/ajaxStatusReducer.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c19c85a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/redux/reducers/ajaxStatusReducer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import * as types from "../actions/actionTypes";
+import initialState from "./initialState";
+
+export default function ajaxStatusReducer(
+  state = initialState.ajaxCallsInProgress,
+  action
+) {
+  if (action.type === types.BEGIN_AJAX_CALL) {
+    return state + 1;
+  } else if (
+    action.type === types.AJAX_CALL_ERROR ||
+    action.type === types.END_AJAX_CALL
+  ) {
+    return state - 1;
+  }
+
+  return state;
+}
diff --git a/src/redux/reducers/apiStatusReducer.js b/src/redux/reducers/apiStatusReducer.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 3755957..0000000
--- a/src/redux/reducers/apiStatusReducer.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-import * as types from "../actions/actionTypes";
-import initialState from "./initialState";
-
-function actionTypeEndsInSuccess(type) {
-  return type.substring(type.length - 8) === "_SUCCESS";
-}
-
-export default function apiCallStatusReducer(
-  state = initialState.apiCallsInProgress,
-  action
-) {
-  if (action.type == types.BEGIN_API_CALL) {
-    return state + 1;
-  } else if (
-    action.type == types.API_CALL_ERROR ||
-    actionTypeEndsInSuccess(action.type)
-  ) {
-    return state - 1;
-  }
-
-  return state;
-}
diff --git a/src/redux/reducers/index.js b/src/redux/reducers/index.js
index 070debc..51a78bb 100644
--- a/src/redux/reducers/index.js
+++ b/src/redux/reducers/index.js
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 import { combineReducers } from "redux";
 import courseReducer from "./courseReducer";
 import authorReducer from "./authorReducer";
-import apiStatusReducer from "./apiStatusReducer";
+import ajaxStatusReducer from "./ajaxStatusReducer";
 import systemReducer from "../../features/system/reducer";
 
 const rootReducer = combineReducers({
   system: systemReducer,
   courses: courseReducer,
   authors: authorReducer,
-  apiCallsInProgress: apiStatusReducer
+  ajaxCallsInProgress: ajaxStatusReducer
 });
 
 export default rootReducer;
diff --git a/src/redux/reducers/initialState.js b/src/redux/reducers/initialState.js
index c6baead..df40f15 100644
--- a/src/redux/reducers/initialState.js
+++ b/src/redux/reducers/initialState.js
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ export default {
   system: {},
   courses: [],
   authors: [],
-  apiCallsInProgress: 0
+  ajaxCallsInProgress: 0
 };