diff --git a/client/src/graphql/client.js b/client/src/graphql/client.js
index 78b35863..cca47bb2 100644
--- a/client/src/graphql/client.js
+++ b/client/src/graphql/client.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {typeDefs} from '@/graphql/typedefs';
 import {resolvers} from '@/graphql/resolvers';
 import cache from './cache';
 
+import {router} from '@/router';
 
 export default function (uri, networkErrorCallback) {
   const httpLink = createHttpLink({
@@ -64,19 +65,37 @@ export default function (uri, networkErrorCallback) {
     }
   });
 
+  const notFoundLink = new ApolloLink((operation, forward) => {
+    return forward(operation).map(response => {
+      const {data} = response;
+      if (data) {
+        if (data.topic && data.topic.__typename === 'NotFound') {
+          // redirect to general 404 page.
+          // todo: specific topic not found page, with navigation?
+          router.push({
+            name: 'not-found'
+          });
+        }
+      }
+      return response;
+    });
+  });
+
   let composedLink;
   if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
     composedLink = ApolloLink.from([
       createOmitTypenameLink,
       errorLink,
-      httpLink
+      notFoundLink,
+      httpLink,
     ]);
   } else {
     composedLink = ApolloLink.from([
       consoleLink,
       createOmitTypenameLink,
       errorLink,
-      httpLink
+      notFoundLink,
+      httpLink,
     ]);
   }
 
diff --git a/client/src/graphql/gql/fragments/notFoundParts.gql b/client/src/graphql/gql/fragments/notFoundParts.gql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..75febb60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/graphql/gql/fragments/notFoundParts.gql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+fragment NotFoundParts on NotFound {
+  reason
+}
diff --git a/client/src/graphql/gql/queries/topicQuery.gql b/client/src/graphql/gql/queries/topicQuery.gql
index 0537b5f3..37bce375 100644
--- a/client/src/graphql/gql/queries/topicQuery.gql
+++ b/client/src/graphql/gql/queries/topicQuery.gql
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #import "../fragments/topicParts.gql"
+#import "../fragments/notFoundParts.gql"
 query Topic($slug: String!){
   topic(slug: $slug) {
     ...TopicParts
+    ...NotFoundParts
   }
 }
diff --git a/client/src/pages/topic-page.vue b/client/src/pages/topic-page.vue
index 4bb85519..47acb63c 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/topic-page.vue
+++ b/client/src/pages/topic-page.vue
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
       BookTopicNavigation,
       ModuleTeaser,
       PlayIcon,
-      BulbIcon
+      BulbIcon,
     },
 
     apollo: {
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
         return {
           query: TOPIC_QUERY,
           variables: {
-            slug: this.$route.params.topicSlug
+            slug: this.$route.params.topicSlug,
           },
           update(data) {
             return this.$getRidOfEdges(data).topic || {};
@@ -81,26 +81,26 @@
               this.saveMe = false;
               this.updateLastVisitedTopic(this.topic.id);
             }
-          }
+          },
         };
-      }
+      },
     },
 
     data() {
       return {
         topic: {
           modules: {
-            edges: []
-          }
+            edges: [],
+          },
         },
-        saveMe: false
+        saveMe: false,
       };
     },
 
     computed: {
       modules() {
         return this.topic.modules;
-      }
+      },
     },
 
     mounted() {
@@ -116,12 +116,15 @@
         this.$store.dispatch('showFullscreenVideo', this.topic.vimeoId);
       },
       updateLastVisitedTopic(topicId) {
+        if (!topicId) {
+          return;
+        }
         this.$apollo.mutate({
           mutation: UPDATE_LAST_TOPIC_MUTATION,
           variables: {
             input: {
-              id: topicId
-            }
+              id: topicId,
+            },
           },
           update(store, {data: {updateLastTopic: {topic}}}) {
             if (topic) {
@@ -131,15 +134,15 @@
                 const data = {
                   me: {
                     ...me,
-                    lastTopic: topic
-                  }
+                    lastTopic: topic,
+                  },
                 };
                 store.writeQuery({query, data});
               }
             }
-          }
+          },
         });
-      }
+      },
     },
   };
 </script>
diff --git a/client/src/router/index.js b/client/src/router/index.js
index 55ce0676..20d61063 100644
--- a/client/src/router/index.js
+++ b/client/src/router/index.js
@@ -33,11 +33,18 @@ const submission = () => import('@/pages/studentSubmission');
 
 const postLoginRedirectUrlKey = 'postLoginRedirectionUrl';
 
+const notFoundRoute = {
+  component: p404,
+  meta: {
+    layout: 'blank',
+  },
+};
+
 const routes = [
   {
     path: '/',
     name: 'home',
-    component: start
+    component: start,
   },
   ...moduleRoutes,
   ...authRoutes,
@@ -85,15 +92,17 @@ const routes = [
         default:
           return '/unknown-auth-error';
       }
-    }
+    },
   },
   {path: '/styleguide', component: styleGuidePage},
+  {
+    path: '/not-found',
+    name: 'not-found',
+    ...notFoundRoute
+  },
   {
     path: '*',
-    component: p404,
-    meta: {
-      layout: 'blank',
-    },
+    ...notFoundRoute
   },
 ];
 
diff --git a/server/books/schema/nodes/topic.py b/server/books/schema/nodes/topic.py
index 067120f2..d0b0be52 100644
--- a/server/books/schema/nodes/topic.py
+++ b/server/books/schema/nodes/topic.py
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ from graphene_django.filter import DjangoFilterConnectionField
 from books.models import Topic, Module
 from books.schema.nodes import ModuleNode
 
+class NotFoundFailure:
+    reason = 'Not Found'
+
+
+
+class NotFound(graphene.ObjectType):
+    reason = graphene.String()
+
 
 class TopicNode(DjangoObjectType):
     pk = graphene.Int()
@@ -27,3 +35,14 @@ class TopicNode(DjangoObjectType):
 
     def resolve_modules(self, *args, **kwargs):
         return Module.get_by_parent(self)
+
+
+class TopicOr404Node(graphene.Union):
+    class Meta:
+        types = (TopicNode, NotFound)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def resolve_type(cls, instance, info):
+        if type(instance).__name__ == "Topic":
+            return TopicNode
+        return NotFound
diff --git a/server/books/schema/queries.py b/server/books/schema/queries.py
index 3db2b931..33267d8c 100644
--- a/server/books/schema/queries.py
+++ b/server/books/schema/queries.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ from graphene_django.filter import DjangoFilterConnectionField
 from api.utils import get_object
 from core.logger import get_logger
 from .connections import TopicConnection, ModuleConnection
-from .nodes import ContentBlockNode, ChapterNode, ModuleNode, TopicNode, SnapshotNode
+from .nodes import ContentBlockNode, ChapterNode, ModuleNode, NotFoundFailure, SnapshotNode, \
+    TopicOr404Node
 from ..models import Book, Topic, Module, Chapter, Snapshot
 
 logger = get_logger(__name__)
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ logger = get_logger(__name__)
 
 class BookQuery(object):
     node = relay.Node.Field()
-    topic = graphene.Field(TopicNode, slug=graphene.String())
+    topic = graphene.Field(TopicOr404Node, slug=graphene.String())
     module = graphene.Field(ModuleNode, slug=graphene.String(), id=graphene.ID())
     chapter = relay.Node.Field(ChapterNode)
     content_block = relay.Node.Field(ContentBlockNode)
@@ -63,5 +64,8 @@ class BookQuery(object):
         if id is not None:
             return get_object(Topic, id)
         if slug is not None:
-            return Topic.objects.get(slug=slug)
+            try:
+                return Topic.objects.get(slug=slug)
+            except Topic.DoesNotExist:
+                return NotFoundFailure
         return None
diff --git a/server/books/tests/test_404.py b/server/books/tests/test_404.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..116bd2f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/books/tests/test_404.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+from graphql.error import GraphQLLocatedError
+
+from core.tests.base_test import SkillboxTestCase
+
+TOPIC_QUERY = """
+query TopicQuery($slug: String!) {
+  topic(slug: $slug) {
+    __typename
+    ...on TopicNode {
+      title
+    }
+    ...on NotFound {
+      reason
+    }
+  }
+}
+"""
+
+
+class ContentBlockTestCase(SkillboxTestCase):
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        self.createDefault()
+        self.client = self.get_client()
+
+    def test_topic(self):
+        slug = "non-existing"
+        result = self.client.execute(TOPIC_QUERY, variables={
+            "slug": slug
+        })
+        self.assertIsNone(result.get('errors'))
+        topic = result.get('data').get('topic')
+        self.assertEqual(topic.get('__typename'), 'NotFound')
+        self.assertEqual(topic.get('reason'), 'Not Found')
diff --git a/server/schema.graphql b/server/schema.graphql
index 7a30217b..a42045bb 100644
--- a/server/schema.graphql
+++ b/server/schema.graphql
@@ -702,6 +702,10 @@ interface Node {
   id: ID!
 }
 
+type NotFound {
+  reason: String
+}
+
 type NoteNode implements Node {
   id: ID!
   text: String!
@@ -852,7 +856,7 @@ type Query {
   assignment(id: ID!): AssignmentNode
   assignments: [AssignmentNode]
   node(id: ID!): Node
-  topic(slug: String): TopicNode
+  topic(slug: String): TopicOr404Node
   module(slug: String, id: ID): ModuleNode
   chapter(id: ID!): ChapterNode
   contentBlock(id: ID!): ContentBlockNode
@@ -1127,6 +1131,8 @@ type TopicNode implements Node {
   modules(offset: Int, before: String, after: String, first: Int, last: Int, slug: String, slug_Icontains: String, slug_In: [String], title: String, title_Icontains: String, title_In: [String]): ModuleNodeConnection
 }
 
+union TopicOr404Node = TopicNode | NotFound
+
 scalar UUID
 
 input UpdateAnswerArgument {