diff --git a/wheels/controller/processing.cfm b/wheels/controller/processing.cfm
index 27591e17a..990bd5ca8 100644
--- a/wheels/controller/processing.cfm
+++ b/wheels/controller/processing.cfm
@@ -137,18 +137,11 @@ public void function $callAction(required string action) {
 			if (FileExists(ExpandPath(local.file))) {
 				Throw(object=e);
 			} else {
-				if ($get("showErrorInformation")) {
-					Throw(
-						type="Wheels.ViewNotFound",
-						message="Could not find the view page for the `#arguments.action#` action in the `#variables.$class.name#` controller.",
-						extendedInfo="Create a file named `#LCase(arguments.action)#.cfm` in the `views/#LCase(ListChangeDelims(variables.$class.name, '/', '.'))#` directory (create the directory as well if it doesn't already exist)."
-					);
-				} else {
-					$header(statusCode=404, statustext="Not Found");
-					local.template = $get("eventPath") & "/onmissingtemplate.cfm";
-					$includeAndOutput(template=local.template);
-					abort;
-				}
+				$throwErrorOrShow404Page(
+					type="Wheels.ViewNotFound",
+					message="Could not find the view page for the `#arguments.action#` action in the `#variables.$class.name#` controller.",
+					extendedInfo="Create a file named `#LCase(arguments.action)#.cfm` in the `views/#LCase(ListChangeDelims(variables.$class.name, '/', '.'))#` directory (create the directory as well if it doesn't already exist)."
+				);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/wheels/dispatch/functions.cfm b/wheels/dispatch/functions.cfm
index 6c324171b..8593c4958 100644
--- a/wheels/dispatch/functions.cfm
+++ b/wheels/dispatch/functions.cfm
@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ public struct function $findMatchingRoute(required string path, string requestMe
 
 	// Throw error if no route was found.
 	if (!StructKeyExists(local, "rv")) {
-		Throw(
+		$throwErrorOrShow404Page(
 			type="Wheels.RouteNotFound",
-			message="Wheels couldn't find a route that matched this request.",
-			extendedInfo="Make sure there is a route setup in your `config/routes.cfm` file that matches the `#arguments.path#` request."
+			message="Could not find a route that matched this request.",
+			extendedInfo="Make sure there is a route configured in your `config/routes.cfm` file that matches the `#arguments.path#` request."
 		);
 	}
 
diff --git a/wheels/global/internal.cfm b/wheels/global/internal.cfm
index 40111f7a9..f7020b084 100644
--- a/wheels/global/internal.cfm
+++ b/wheels/global/internal.cfm
@@ -386,9 +386,13 @@ public string function $routeVariables() {
  */
 public struct function $findRoute() {
 
-	// throw an error if a route with this name has not been set by developer in the config/routes.cfm file
-	if (application.wheels.showErrorInformation && !StructKeyExists(application.wheels.namedRoutePositions, arguments.route)) {
-		Throw(type="Wheels.RouteNotFound", message="Could not find the `#arguments.route#` route.", extendedInfo="Create a new route in `config/routes.cfm` with the name `#arguments.route#`.");
+	// Throw error if no route was found.
+	if (!StructKeyExists(application.wheels.namedRoutePositions, arguments.route)) {
+		$throwErrorOrShow404Page(
+			type="Wheels.RouteNotFound",
+			message="Could not find the `#arguments.route#` route.",
+			extendedInfo="Make sure there is a route configured in your `config/routes.cfm` file named `#arguments.route#`."
+		);
 	}
 
 	local.routePos = application.wheels.namedRoutePositions[arguments.route];
@@ -1092,4 +1096,19 @@ public string function $buildReleaseZip(string version=application.wheels.versio
 	return local.path;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Throw a developer friendly CFWheels error if set (typically in development mode).
+ * Otherwise show the 404 page for end users (typically in production mode).
+ */
+public void function $throwErrorOrShow404Page(required string type, required string message, string extendedInfo="") {
+	if ($get("showErrorInformation")) {
+		Throw(type=arguments.type, message=arguments.message, extendedInfo=arguments.extendedInfo);
+	} else {
+		$header(statusCode=404, statustext="Not Found");
+		local.template = $get("eventPath") & "/onmissingtemplate.cfm";
+		$includeAndOutput(template=local.template);
+		abort;
+	}
+}
+
 </cfscript>
diff --git a/wheels/view/forms.cfm b/wheels/view/forms.cfm
index 80140575b..468b9c53c 100644
--- a/wheels/view/forms.cfm
+++ b/wheels/view/forms.cfm
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ public string function startFormTag(
 	// if we have a route and method, tap
 	if (Len(arguments.route) && StructKeyExists(arguments, "method")) {
 
-		// throw a nice wheels error if the developer passes in a route that was not generated
-		if (application.wheels.showErrorInformation && !StructKeyExists(application.wheels.namedRoutePositions, arguments.route)) {
-			Throw(
+		// Throw error if no route was found.
+		if (!StructKeyExists(application.wheels.namedRoutePositions, arguments.route)) {
+			$throwErrorOrShow404Page(
 				type="Wheels.RouteNotFound",
-				message="Route Not Found",
-				extendedInfo="The route specified `#arguments.route#` does not exist!"
+				message="Could not find the `#arguments.route#` route.",
+				extendedInfo="Make sure there is a route configured in your `config/routes.cfm` file named `#arguments.route#`."
 			);
 		}