diff --git a/include/villas/api/node_request.hpp b/include/villas/api/node_request.hpp
index 69b628fb4..8a97df9f9 100644
--- a/include/villas/api/node_request.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/api/node_request.hpp
@@ -40,29 +40,7 @@ public:
 	struct vnode *node;
 
 	virtual void
-	prepare()
-	{
-		int ret;
-
-		auto *nodes = session->getSuperNode()->getNodes();
-
-		uuid_t uuid;
-		ret = uuid_parse(matches[1].c_str(), uuid);
-		if (ret) {
-			node = vlist_lookup_name<struct vnode>(nodes, matches[1]);
-			if (!node)
-				throw BadRequest("Unknown node", "{ s: s }",
-					"node", matches[1].c_str()
-				);
-		}
-		else {
-			node = vlist_lookup_uuid<struct vnode>(nodes, uuid);
-			if (!node)
-				throw BadRequest("No node found with with matching UUID", "{ s: s }",
-					"uuid", matches[1].c_str()
-				);
-		}
-	}
+	prepare();
 };
 
 } /* namespace api */
diff --git a/include/villas/api/path_request.hpp b/include/villas/api/path_request.hpp
index 209d7c92e..ab0b2a237 100644
--- a/include/villas/api/path_request.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/api/path_request.hpp
@@ -40,24 +40,7 @@ public:
 	struct vpath *path;
 
 	virtual void
-	prepare()
-	{
-		int ret;
-		uuid_t uuid;
-
-		ret = uuid_parse(matches[1].c_str(), uuid);
-		if (ret)
-			throw BadRequest("Invalid UUID", "{ s: s }",
-				"uuid", matches[1].c_str()
-			);
-
-		auto *paths = session->getSuperNode()->getPaths();
-		path = vlist_lookup_uuid<struct vpath>(paths, uuid);
-		if (!path)
-			throw BadRequest("No path found with with matching UUID", "{ s: s }",
-				"uuid", matches[1].c_str()
-			);
-	}
+	prepare();
 };
 
 } /* namespace api */
diff --git a/include/villas/api/request.hpp b/include/villas/api/request.hpp
index aac018f92..67530d73b 100644
--- a/include/villas/api/request.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/api/request.hpp
@@ -79,9 +79,15 @@ public:
 			json_decref(body);
 	}
 
-	virtual Response * execute() = 0;
+	virtual void
+	prepare()
+	{ }
 
-	virtual void decode();
+	virtual Response *
+	execute() = 0;
+
+	virtual void
+	decode();
 
 	const std::string &
 	getMatch(int idx) const
diff --git a/lib/api/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/api/CMakeLists.txt
index 90f788cd5..cf63aab73 100644
--- a/lib/api/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/api/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 set(API_SRC
     session.cpp
     request.cpp
+    node_request.cpp
+    path_request.cpp
     response.cpp
 
     requests/status.cpp
diff --git a/lib/api/node_request.cpp b/lib/api/node_request.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6d9f9b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/api/node_request.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/** Node API Request.
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @author Steffen Vogel <stvogel@eonerc.rwth-aachen.de>
+ * @copyright 2014-2020, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems, EONERC
+ * @license GNU General Public License (version 3)
+ *
+ * VILLASnode
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *********************************************************************************/
+
+#include <villas/api/node_request.hpp>
+
+using namespace villas::node::api;
+
+void
+NodeRequest::prepare()
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	auto *nodes = session->getSuperNode()->getNodes();
+
+	uuid_t uuid;
+	ret = uuid_parse(matches[1].c_str(), uuid);
+	if (ret) {
+		node = vlist_lookup_name<struct vnode>(nodes, matches[1]);
+		if (!node)
+			throw BadRequest("Unknown node", "{ s: s }",
+				"node", matches[1].c_str()
+			);
+	}
+	else {
+		node = vlist_lookup_uuid<struct vnode>(nodes, uuid);
+		if (!node)
+			throw BadRequest("No node found with with matching UUID", "{ s: s }",
+				"uuid", matches[1].c_str()
+			);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/api/path_request.cpp b/lib/api/path_request.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2fd320e08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/api/path_request.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/** Path API Request.
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @author Steffen Vogel <stvogel@eonerc.rwth-aachen.de>
+ * @copyright 2014-2020, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems, EONERC
+ * @license GNU General Public License (version 3)
+ *
+ * VILLASnode
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *********************************************************************************/
+
+#include <villas/api/path_request.hpp>
+#include <villas/path.h>
+
+using namespace villas::node::api;
+
+void
+PathRequest::prepare()
+{
+	int ret;
+	uuid_t uuid;
+
+	ret = uuid_parse(matches[1].c_str(), uuid);
+	if (ret)
+		throw BadRequest("Invalid UUID", "{ s: s }",
+			"uuid", matches[1].c_str()
+		);
+
+	auto *paths = session->getSuperNode()->getPaths();
+	path = vlist_lookup_uuid<struct vpath>(paths, uuid);
+	if (!path)
+		throw BadRequest("No path found with with matching UUID", "{ s: s }",
+			"uuid", matches[1].c_str()
+		);
+}
diff --git a/lib/api/request.cpp b/lib/api/request.cpp
index e252d82c6..b23c6cedd 100644
--- a/lib/api/request.cpp
+++ b/lib/api/request.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ Request * RequestFactory::create(Session *s, const std::string &uri, Session::Me
 		p->method = meth;
 		p->contentLength = ct;
 
+		p->prepare();
+
 		return p;
 	}