diff --git a/client/app/helpers/client.coffee b/client/app/helpers/client.coffee
index b0c4ba4e..1d9c9aa1 100644
--- a/client/app/helpers/client.coffee
+++ b/client/app/helpers/client.coffee
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ exports.request = (type, url, data, callbacks) ->
         type: type
         url: url
         data: data
+        dataType: 'json'
         success: callbacks.success
         error: callbacks.error
 
-# Sends a get request with data as body
+# Sends a get request
 # Expected callbacks: success and error
 exports.get = (url, callbacks) ->
     exports.request "GET", url, null, callbacks
@@ -23,7 +24,12 @@ exports.post = (url, data, callbacks) ->
 exports.put = (url, data, callbacks) ->
     exports.request "PUT", url, data, callbacks
 
-# Sends a delete request with data as body
+# Sends a delete request
 # Expected callbacks: success and error
 exports.del = (url, callbacks) ->
     exports.request "DELETE", url, null, callbacks
+
+# Sends a head request
+# Expected callbacks: success and error
+exports.head = (url, callbacks) ->
+    exports.request "HEAD", url, null, callbacks
diff --git a/client/app/models/stack_application.coffee b/client/app/models/stack_application.coffee
index f085d44f..76e7ac45 100644
--- a/client/app/models/stack_application.coffee
+++ b/client/app/models/stack_application.coffee
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ module.exports = class StackApplication extends Backbone.Model
     # The callback is fired only when the servers responds successfully to
     # *remainingSteps* requests.
     waitServerIsUp: (remainingSteps, callback) ->
-        request.get "api/applications/stack", (err) =>
+        request.head "api/applications/stack", (err) =>
             if err
                 console.log 'Server looks down...'
             else