diff --git a/background.js b/background.js
index 4feb48bd..c7bf572b 100644
--- a/background.js
+++ b/background.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function addSponsorTime(time) {
 function submitVote(type, UUID, callback) {
   getUserID(function(userID) {
     //publish this vote
-    sendRequestToUser('GET', "/api/voteOnSponsorTime?UUID=" + UUID + "&userID=" + userID + "&type=" + type, function(xmlhttp, error) {
+    sendRequestToServer('GET', "/api/voteOnSponsorTime?UUID=" + UUID + "&userID=" + userID + "&type=" + type, function(xmlhttp, error) {
       if (xmlhttp.readyState == 4 && xmlhttp.status == 200) {
         callback({
           successType: 1
@@ -116,13 +116,10 @@ function submitTimes(videoID) {
     if (sponsorTimes != undefined && sponsorTimes.length > 0) {
       //submit these times
       for (let i = 0; i < sponsorTimes.length; i++) {
-        let xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
-
-        let userIDStorage = getUserID(function(userIDStorage) {
+        getUserID(function(userIDStorage) {
           //submit the sponsorTime
-          xmlhttp.open('GET', serverAddress + "/api/postVideoSponsorTimes?videoID=" + videoID + "&startTime=" + sponsorTimes[i][0] + "&endTime=" + sponsorTimes[i][1]
-          + "&userID=" + userIDStorage, true);
-          xmlhttp.send();
+          sendRequestToServer('GET', "/api/postVideoSponsorTimes?videoID=" + videoID + "&startTime=" + sponsorTimes[i][0] + "&endTime=" + sponsorTimes[i][1]
+          + "&userID=" + userIDStorage);
         });
       }
     }
@@ -179,18 +176,20 @@ function getUserID(callback) {
   });
 }
 
-function sendRequestToUser(type, address, callback) {
+function sendRequestToServer(type, address, callback) {
   let xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
 
   xmlhttp.open(type, serverAddress + address, true);
 
-  xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function () {
-    callback(xmlhttp, false);
-  };
-
-  xmlhttp.onerror = function(ev) {
-    callback(xmlhttp, true);
-  };
+  if (callback != undefined) {
+    xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function () {
+      callback(xmlhttp, false);
+    };
+  
+    xmlhttp.onerror = function(ev) {
+      callback(xmlhttp, true);
+    };
+  }
 
   //submit this request
   xmlhttp.send();
diff --git a/content.js b/content.js
index 9203acc6..cafd9db7 100644
--- a/content.js
+++ b/content.js
@@ -118,24 +118,21 @@ function sponsorsLookup(id) {
     let xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
     
     //check database for sponsor times
-    xmlhttp.open('GET', serverAddress + "/api/getVideoSponsorTimes?videoID=" + id, true);
+    sendRequestToServer('GET', "/api/getVideoSponsorTimes?videoID=" + id, function(xmlhttp) {
+      if (xmlhttp.readyState == 4 && xmlhttp.status == 200) {
+        sponsorDataFound = true;
 
-    xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function () {
-        if (xmlhttp.readyState == 4 && xmlhttp.status == 200) {
-          sponsorDataFound = true;
+        sponsorTimes = JSON.parse(xmlhttp.responseText).sponsorTimes;
+        UUIDs = JSON.parse(xmlhttp.responseText).UUIDs;
 
-          sponsorTimes = JSON.parse(xmlhttp.responseText).sponsorTimes;
-          UUIDs = JSON.parse(xmlhttp.responseText).UUIDs;
-
-          // If the sponsor data exists, add the event to run on the videos "ontimeupdate"
-          v.ontimeupdate = function () { 
-              sponsorCheck(sponsorTimes);
-          };
-        } else {
-          sponsorDataFound = false;
-        }
-    };
-    xmlhttp.send(null);
+        // If the sponsor data exists, add the event to run on the videos "ontimeupdate"
+        v.ontimeupdate = function () { 
+            sponsorCheck(sponsorTimes);
+        };
+      } else {
+        sponsorDataFound = false;
+      }
+    });
 }
 
 function sponsorCheck(sponsorTimes) { // Video skipping
@@ -463,6 +460,25 @@ function sponsorMessageStarted() {
     toggleStartSponsorButton();
 }
 
+function sendRequestToServer(type, address, callback) {
+  let xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
+
+  xmlhttp.open(type, serverAddress + address, true);
+
+  if (callback != undefined) {
+    xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function () {
+      callback(xmlhttp, false);
+    };
+  
+    xmlhttp.onerror = function(ev) {
+      callback(xmlhttp, true);
+    };
+  }
+
+  //submit this request
+  xmlhttp.send();
+}
+
 function getYouTubeVideoID(url) { // Returns with video id else returns false
   var regExp = /^.*((youtu.be\/)|(v\/)|(\/u\/\w\/)|(embed\/)|(watch\?))\??v?=?([^#\&\?]*).*/;
   var match = url.match(regExp);