diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/DDLAPIServlet.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/DDLAPIServlet.java
index 76063e5..1ae3054 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/DDLAPIServlet.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/DDLAPIServlet.java
@@ -17,16 +17,26 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.aql.base.Statement;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.aql.base.Statement.Kind;
 
 public class DDLAPIServlet extends RESTAPIServlet {
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
+    protected String getQueryParameter(HttpServletRequest request) {
+        return request.getParameter("ddl");
+    }
+
     protected List<Statement.Kind> getAllowedStatements() {
         Kind[] statementsArray = { Kind.DATAVERSE_DECL, Kind.DATAVERSE_DROP, Kind.FUNCTION_DECL, Kind.NODEGROUP_DECL,
                 Kind.NODEGROUP_DROP, Kind.TYPE_DECL, Kind.TYPE_DROP, Kind.CREATE_INDEX, Kind.INDEX_DECL,
                 Kind.CREATE_DATAVERSE, Kind.INDEX_DROP, Kind.CREATE_FUNCTION, Kind.FUNCTION_DROP };
         return Arrays.asList(statementsArray);
     }
+
+    protected String getErrorMessage() {
+        return "Invalid statement: Non-DDL statement %s to the DDL API.";
+    }
 }
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/QueryAPIServlet.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/QueryAPIServlet.java
index 069c607..a893bd6 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/QueryAPIServlet.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/QueryAPIServlet.java
@@ -17,15 +17,25 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.aql.base.Statement;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.aql.base.Statement.Kind;
 
 public class QueryAPIServlet extends RESTAPIServlet {
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
+    protected String getQueryParameter(HttpServletRequest request) {
+        return request.getParameter("query");
+    }
+
     protected List<Statement.Kind> getAllowedStatements() {
         Kind[] statementsArray = { Kind.DATAVERSE_DECL, Kind.QUERY, Kind.SET, Kind.WRITE, Kind.BEGIN_FEED,
-            Kind.CONTROL_FEED };
+                Kind.CONTROL_FEED };
         return Arrays.asList(statementsArray);
     }
+
+    protected String getErrorMessage() {
+        return "Invalid statement: Non-query statement %s to the query API.";
+    }
 }
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/RESTAPIServlet.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/RESTAPIServlet.java
index e8660a9..abf89f0 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/RESTAPIServlet.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/RESTAPIServlet.java
@@ -47,17 +47,13 @@
     public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
         PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
 
-        String query = request.getParameter("query");
-        String mode = request.getParameter("mode");
-        response.setContentType("text/html");
+        String query = getQueryParameter(request);
+        boolean asyncResults = isAsync(request);
+
+        response.setContentType("application/json");
         ServletContext context = getServletContext();
         IHyracksClientConnection hcc;
 
-        boolean asyncResults = false;
-        if (mode != null && mode.equals("asynchronous")) {
-            asyncResults = true;
-        }
-
         try {
             HyracksProperties hp = new HyracksProperties();
             String strIP = hp.getHyracksIPAddress();
@@ -109,8 +105,7 @@
     private boolean checkForbiddenStatements(List<Statement> aqlStatements, PrintWriter out) {
         for (Statement st : aqlStatements) {
             if (!getAllowedStatements().contains(st.getKind())) {
-                JSONObject errorResp = ResultUtils.getErrorResponse(1,
-                        "Invalid stament: Non-query statement " + st.getKind() + " to the query API.");
+                JSONObject errorResp = ResultUtils.getErrorResponse(1, String.format(getErrorMessage(), st.getKind()));
                 out.write(errorResp.toString());
                 return true;
             }
@@ -118,5 +113,18 @@
         return false;
     }
 
+    protected boolean isAsync(HttpServletRequest request) {
+        String mode = request.getParameter("mode");
+        boolean asyncResults = false;
+        if (mode != null && mode.equals("asynchronous")) {
+            asyncResults = true;
+        }
+        return asyncResults;
+    }
+
+    protected abstract String getQueryParameter(HttpServletRequest request);
+
     protected abstract List<Kind> getAllowedStatements();
+
+    protected abstract String getErrorMessage();
 }
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/UpdateAPIServlet.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/UpdateAPIServlet.java
index 400fe47..7336876 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/UpdateAPIServlet.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/api/http/servlet/UpdateAPIServlet.java
@@ -17,15 +17,25 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.aql.base.Statement;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.aql.base.Statement.Kind;
 
 public class UpdateAPIServlet extends RESTAPIServlet {
     private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
 
+    protected String getQueryParameter(HttpServletRequest request) {
+        return request.getParameter("statements");
+    }
+
     protected List<Statement.Kind> getAllowedStatements() {
         Kind[] statementsArray = { Kind.DATAVERSE_DECL, Kind.DATASET_DECL, Kind.DATASET_DROP, Kind.DELETE, Kind.INSERT,
                 Kind.UPDATE, Kind.DML_CMD_LIST, Kind.LOAD_FROM_FILE, Kind.WRITE_FROM_QUERY_RESULT };
         return Arrays.asList(statementsArray);
     }
+
+    protected String getErrorMessage() {
+        return "Invalid statement: Non-Update statement %s to the Update API.";
+    }
 }