diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 0db24b3..400e6a0 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -13,11 +13,14 @@ require('dotenv').config({ path: 'variables.env' })
 const helpers = require('./helpers')
 const { translate, initializeTranslations } = require('./i18n/i18n')
 const breadcrumb = require('./lib/breadcrumb')
+const { updateCookie } = require('./lib/cookies')
 const settings = require('./lib/settings')
 const routes = require('./routes/index')
 const { getSpace } = require('./services/contentful')
 const { catchErrors } = require('./handlers/errorHandlers')
 
+const SETTINGS_NAME = 'theExampleAppSettings'
+
 const app = express()
 
 // View engine setup
@@ -53,27 +56,11 @@ app.use(catchErrors(async function (request, response, next) {
   response.locals.helpers = helpers
 
   // Make query string available in templates to render links properly
-  const qs = querystring.stringify(request.query)
-  // Creates a query string which adds the current credentials to links
-  // To other implementations of this app in the about modal
-  let settingsQuery = {
-    editorial_features: response.locals.settings.editorialFeatures ? 'enabled' : 'disabled'
-  }
-  if (
-    response.locals.settings.spaceId !== process.env.CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID ||
-    response.locals.settings.deliveryToken !== process.env.CONTENTFUL_DELIVERY_TOKEN ||
-    response.locals.settings.previewToken !== process.env.CONTENTFUL_PREVIEW_TOKEN
-  ) {
-    settingsQuery = Object.assign({}, settingsQuery, request.query, {
-      space_id: response.locals.settings.spaceId,
-      delivery_token: response.locals.settings.deliveryToken,
-      preview_token: response.locals.settings.previewToken
-    })
-  }
+  const cleanQuery = helpers.cleanupQueryParameters(request.query)
+  const qs = querystring.stringify(cleanQuery)
 
-  const settingsQs = querystring.stringify(settingsQuery)
   response.locals.queryString = qs ? `?${qs}` : ''
-  response.locals.queryStringSettings = settingsQs ? `?${settingsQs}` : ''
+  response.locals.queryStringSettings = response.locals.queryString
   response.locals.query = request.query
   response.locals.currentPath = request.path
 
@@ -93,22 +80,46 @@ app.use(catchErrors(async function (request, response, next) {
     }
   ]
 
+  // Set currently used api
   response.locals.currentApi = apis
     .find((api) => api.id === (request.query.api || 'cda'))
 
-  const space = await getSpace()
-  response.locals.locales = space.locales
+  next()
+}))
 
-  const defaultLocale = response.locals.locales
-    .find((locale) => locale.default)
+// Test space connection and attach space related data for views if possible
+app.use(catchErrors(async function (request, response, next) {
+  // Catch misconfigured space credentials and display settings page
+  try {
+    const space = await getSpace()
 
-  if (request.query.locale) {
-    response.locals.currentLocale = space.locales
-      .find((locale) => locale.code === request.query.locale)
-  }
+    // Update credentials in cookie when space connection is successful
+    updateCookie(response, SETTINGS_NAME, settings)
 
-  if (!response.locals.currentLocale) {
-    response.locals.currentLocale = defaultLocale
+    // Get available locales from space
+    response.locals.locales = space.locales
+    const defaultLocale = response.locals.locales
+      .find((locale) => locale.default)
+
+    if (request.query.locale) {
+      response.locals.currentLocale = space.locales
+        .find((locale) => locale.code === request.query.locale)
+    }
+
+    if (!response.locals.currentLocale) {
+      response.locals.currentLocale = defaultLocale
+    }
+
+    // Creates a query string which adds the current credentials to links
+    // To other implementations of this app in the about modal
+    helpers.updateSettingsQuery(request, response, response.locals.settings)
+  } catch (error) {
+    if ([401, 404].includes(error.response.status)) {
+      // If we can't connect to the space, force the settings page to be shown.
+      response.locals.forceSettingsRoute = true
+    } else {
+      throw error
+    }
   }
   next()
 }))
diff --git a/helpers.js b/helpers.js
index 30867fe..c6052ce 100644
--- a/helpers.js
+++ b/helpers.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 const marked = require('marked')
+const querystring = require('querystring')
+
 const { translate } = require('./i18n/i18n')
 
 // Parse markdown text
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ module.exports.formatMetaTitle = (title, localeCode = 'en-US') => {
   return `${title.charAt(0).toUpperCase()}${title.slice(1)} — ${translate('defaultTitle', localeCode)}`
 }
 
-module.exports.isCustomCredentials = (settings) => {
+function isCustomCredentials (settings) {
   const spaceId = process.env.CONTENTFUL_SPACE_ID
   const deliveryToken = process.env.CONTENTFUL_DELIVERY_TOKEN
   const previewToken = process.env.CONTENTFUL_PREVIEW_TOKEN
@@ -29,6 +31,38 @@ module.exports.isCustomCredentials = (settings) => {
     settings.previewToken !== previewToken
 }
 
+function cleanupQueryParameters (query) {
+  const cleanQuery = Object.assign({}, query)
+  delete cleanQuery.space_id
+  delete cleanQuery.delivery_token
+  delete cleanQuery.preview_token
+  delete cleanQuery.reset
+  return cleanQuery
+}
+
+function updateSettingsQuery (request, response, settings) {
+  const cleanQuery = cleanupQueryParameters(request.query)
+
+  let settingsQuery = Object.assign({}, cleanQuery, {
+    editorial_features: settings.editorialFeatures ? 'enabled' : 'disabled'
+  })
+
+  if (isCustomCredentials(settings)) {
+    settingsQuery = Object.assign(settingsQuery, {
+      space_id: settings.spaceId,
+      delivery_token: settings.deliveryToken,
+      preview_token: settings.previewToken
+    })
+  }
+
+  const settingsQs = querystring.stringify(settingsQuery)
+  response.locals.queryStringSettings = settingsQs ? `?${settingsQs}` : ''
+}
+
+module.exports.isCustomCredentials = isCustomCredentials
+module.exports.cleanupQueryParameters = cleanupQueryParameters
+module.exports.updateSettingsQuery = updateSettingsQuery
+
 /**
  * Evil users might try to add base64 url data to execute js code
  * so we should purge any potentially harmful data to mitigate risk
diff --git a/lib/settings.js b/lib/settings.js
index b5d4a9d..a20396e 100644
--- a/lib/settings.js
+++ b/lib/settings.js
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
  */
 
 const { initClients } = require('../services/contentful')
-const { updateCookie } = require('./cookies')
-
-const SETTINGS_NAME = 'theExampleAppSettings'
 
 module.exports = async function settingsMiddleware (request, response, next) {
   // Set default settings based on environment variables
@@ -28,7 +25,6 @@ module.exports = async function settingsMiddleware (request, response, next) {
       deliveryToken: delivery_token,
       previewToken: preview_token
     }
-    updateCookie(response, SETTINGS_NAME, settings)
   }
 
   // Allow enabling and disabling of editorial features via query parameters
@@ -37,7 +33,6 @@ module.exports = async function settingsMiddleware (request, response, next) {
   if (typeof editorial_features !== 'undefined') {
     delete request.query.editorial_features
     settings.editorialFeatures = editorial_features === 'enabled'
-    updateCookie(response, SETTINGS_NAME, settings)
   }
   /* eslint-enable camelcase */
 
diff --git a/routes/index.js b/routes/index.js
index be818e7..c3d82a1 100644
--- a/routes/index.js
+++ b/routes/index.js
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@ const { getSettings, postSettings } = require('./settings')
 const { getLandingPage } = require('./landingPage')
 const { getImprint } = require('./imprint')
 
+// Display settings in case of invalid credentials
+router.all('*', async (request, response, next) => {
+  if (response.locals.forceSettingsRoute) {
+    await getSettings(request, response, next)
+    return
+  }
+  next()
+})
+
 // GET the home landing page
 router.get('/', catchErrors(getLandingPage))
 
diff --git a/routes/settings.js b/routes/settings.js
index cd3276e..ed1df38 100644
--- a/routes/settings.js
+++ b/routes/settings.js
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@
  * This module renders the settings page when `settings` route is requested
  * it also saves the settings to a cookie
  */
+const { uniqWith, isEqual } = require('lodash')
 const { createClient } = require('contentful')
-const { initClients, getSpace } = require('./../services/contentful')
+
+const { isCustomCredentials, updateSettingsQuery } = require('../helpers')
 const { updateCookie } = require('../lib/cookies')
 const { translate } = require('../i18n/i18n')
-const { uniqWith, isEqual } = require('lodash')
-const SETTINGS_NAME = 'theExampleAppSettings'
+const { initClients, getSpace } = require('../services/contentful')
 
-const querystring = require('querystring')
+const SETTINGS_NAME = 'theExampleAppSettings'
 
 async function renderSettings (response, opts) {
   // Get connected space to display the space name on top of the settings
@@ -17,9 +18,8 @@ async function renderSettings (response, opts) {
   try {
     space = await getSpace()
   } catch (error) {
-    // We throw the error here, it will be handled by the error middleware
-    // We keep space false to ensure the "Connected to" box is not shown.
-    throw (error)
+    // We handle errors within the settings page.
+    // No need to throw here.
   }
 
   response.render('settings', {
@@ -42,9 +42,23 @@ async function renderSettings (response, opts) {
  * @returns {undefined}
  */
 module.exports.getSettings = async (request, response, next) => {
+  const currentLocale = response.locals.currentLocale
   const { settings } = response.locals
+
+  const errorList = await generateErrorList(settings, currentLocale)
+
+  // If no errors detected, update app to use new settings
+  if (!errorList.length) {
+    applyUpdatedSettings(request, response, settings)
+  }
+
+  const errors = generateErrorDictionary(errorList)
+
   await renderSettings(response, {
-    settings
+    settings,
+    errors,
+    hasErrors: errorList.length > 0,
+    success: isCustomCredentials(settings) && errorList.length === 0
   })
 }
 
@@ -60,7 +74,6 @@ module.exports.getSettings = async (request, response, next) => {
  */
 module.exports.postSettings = async (request, response, next) => {
   const currentLocale = response.locals.currentLocale
-  let errorList = []
   let { spaceId, deliveryToken, previewToken, editorialFeatures } = request.body
 
   if (request.query.reset) {
@@ -76,6 +89,27 @@ module.exports.postSettings = async (request, response, next) => {
     editorialFeatures: !!editorialFeatures
   }
 
+  const errorList = await generateErrorList(settings, currentLocale)
+
+  // If no errors detected, update app to use new settings
+  if (!errorList.length) {
+    applyUpdatedSettings(request, response, settings)
+  }
+
+  const errors = generateErrorDictionary(errorList)
+
+  await renderSettings(response, {
+    settings,
+    errors,
+    hasErrors: errorList.length > 0,
+    success: errorList.length === 0
+  })
+}
+
+async function generateErrorList (settings, currentLocale) {
+  const { spaceId, deliveryToken, previewToken } = settings
+  let errorList = []
+
   // Validate required fields.
   if (!spaceId) {
     errorList.push({
@@ -157,29 +191,16 @@ module.exports.postSettings = async (request, response, next) => {
       }
     }
   }
+
   errorList = uniqWith(errorList, isEqual)
-  // If no errors, then cache the new settings in the cookie
-  if (!errorList.length) {
-    // Store new settings
-    updateCookie(response, SETTINGS_NAME, settings)
-    response.locals.settings = settings
 
-    const settingsQuery = Object.assign({}, request.query, {
-      space_id: response.locals.settings.spaceId,
-      delivery_token: response.locals.settings.deliveryToken,
-      preview_token: response.locals.settings.previewToken,
-      editorial_features: response.locals.settings.editorialFeatures ? 'enabled' : 'disabled'
-    })
+  return errorList
+}
 
-    const settingsQs = querystring.stringify(settingsQuery)
-    response.locals.queryStringSettings = settingsQs ? `?${settingsQs}` : ''
-    // Reinit clients
-    initClients(settings)
-  }
-
-  // Generate error dictionary
-  // Format: { FIELD_NAME: [array, of, error, messages] }
-  const errors = errorList.reduce((errors, error) => {
+// Generate error dictionary
+// Format: { FIELD_NAME: [array, of, error, messages] }
+function generateErrorDictionary (errorList) {
+  return errorList.reduce((errors, error) => {
     return {
       ...errors,
       [error.field]: [
@@ -188,10 +209,16 @@ module.exports.postSettings = async (request, response, next) => {
       ]
     }
   }, {})
-  await renderSettings(response, {
-    settings,
-    errors,
-    hasErrors: errorList.length > 0,
-    success: errorList.length === 0
-  })
+}
+
+function applyUpdatedSettings (request, response, settings) {
+  // Store new settings
+  updateCookie(response, SETTINGS_NAME, settings)
+  response.locals.settings = settings
+
+  // Update query settings string
+  updateSettingsQuery(request, response, settings)
+
+  // Reinit clients
+  initClients(settings)
 }
diff --git a/views/settings.pug b/views/settings.pug
index 3bf2c34..8934769 100644
--- a/views/settings.pug
+++ b/views/settings.pug
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ block content
                   br
                   button(type="submit") #{translate('resetCredentialsLabel', currentLocale.code)}
                   br
-                  a(href=`${baseUrl}/?space_id=${settings.spaceId}&preview_token=${settings.previewToken}&delivery_token=${settings.deliveryToken}&api=${currentApi.id}${settings.editorialFeatures ? '&enable_editorial_features' : ''}` class="status-block__sharelink") #{translate('copyLinkLabel', currentLocale.code)}
+                  a(href=`${baseUrl}/${queryStringSettings}` class="status-block__sharelink") #{translate('copyLinkLabel', currentLocale.code)}
               p
                 em #{translate('overrideConfigLabel', currentLocale.code)}