diff --git a/router.go b/router.go
index d4be689..251da5c 100644
--- a/router.go
+++ b/router.go
@@ -126,7 +126,11 @@ func (r Router) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	endpoint, params, err := r.getEndpoint(method, path)
 
 	if err != nil {
-		handler = r.NotFoundHandler
+		if r.NotFoundHandler != nil {
+			handler = r.NotFoundHandler
+		} else {
+			handler = NotFoundHandler
+		}
 	} else {
 		handler = endpoint.callback
 		ctx := context.WithValue(context.Background(), paramsKey, params)
@@ -179,7 +183,10 @@ func addSegment(curr *segment, key string) (seg *segment) {
 // is returned. If there is no parameter child, nil is returned. isParam is true if the parameter child is
 // being returned.
 func getChild(key string, curr *segment) (child *segment, param string) {
-	if seg, ok := curr.children[key]; ok { // is there an exact match?
+	if curr == nil {
+		return
+
+	} else if seg, ok := curr.children[key]; ok { // is there an exact match?
 		child = seg
 
 	} else if curr.parameter.segment != nil { // could this be a parameter?
@@ -207,7 +214,6 @@ func (r *Router) getEndpoint(method string, path string) (end *endpoint, params
 
 		if seg == nil {
 			err = errors.New("route not found")
-
 			return
 		}
 
diff --git a/router_test.go b/router_test.go
index 4288b0c..3c845e2 100644
--- a/router_test.go
+++ b/router_test.go
@@ -199,19 +199,14 @@ func testCustomNotFound(router Router, t *testing.T) {
 
 	expectedBody := "Forbidden"
 	expectedCode := 401
-	path := "/actual/path"
-
-	router.AddRoute(http.MethodPatch, path, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		w.WriteHeader(404)
-		w.Write([]byte("Not found."))
-	})
+	path := "/gibberish/forbidden"
 
 	router.NotFoundHandler = http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.WriteHeader(expectedCode)
 		w.Write([]byte(expectedBody))
 	})
 
-	err := matchAndCheckRoute(&router, http.MethodPatch, "/gibberish/forbidden", expectedBody, expectedCode)
+	err := matchAndCheckRoute(&router, http.MethodPatch, path, expectedBody, expectedCode)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("Did not call the custom handler.", err)
@@ -227,12 +222,7 @@ func testDefaultNotFound(router Router, t *testing.T) {
 	expectedCode := 404
 	path := "/gibberish"
 
-	router.AddRoute(http.MethodDelete, path, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		w.WriteHeader(expectedCode)
-		w.Write([]byte(expectedBody))
-	})
-
-	err := matchAndCheckRoute(&router, http.MethodDelete, "/gibberish", expectedBody, expectedCode)
+	err := matchAndCheckRoute(&router, http.MethodDelete, path, expectedBody, expectedCode)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("Did not find the expected callback handler", err)