diff --git a/github/github.go b/github/github.go
index 5878cc1..055c303 100644
--- a/github/github.go
+++ b/github/github.go
@@ -217,6 +217,25 @@ func CheckResponse(r *http.Response) error {
 	return errorResponse
 }
 
+// parseBoolResponse determines the boolean result from a GitHub API response.
+// Several GitHub API methods return boolean responses indicated by the HTTP
+// status code in the response (true indicated by a 204, false indicated by a
+// 404).  This helper function will determine that result and hide the 404
+// error if present.  Any other error will be returned through as-is.
+func parseBoolResponse(err error) (bool, error) {
+	if err == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	if err, ok := err.(*ErrorResponse); ok && err.Response.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
+		// Simply false.  In this one case, we do not pass the error through.
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	// some other real error occurred
+	return false, err
+}
+
 // API response wrapper to a rate limit request.
 type rateResponse struct {
 	Rate *Rate `json:rate`
diff --git a/github/github_test.go b/github/github_test.go
index d3e66d1..4b967bc 100644
--- a/github/github_test.go
+++ b/github/github_test.go
@@ -218,6 +218,44 @@ func TestCheckResponse_noBody(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestParseBooleanResponse_true(t *testing.T) {
+	result, err := parseBoolResponse(nil)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("parseBoolResponse returned error: %+v", err)
+	}
+
+	if want := true; result != want {
+		t.Errorf("parseBoolResponse returned %+v, want: %+v", result, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseBooleanResponse_false(t *testing.T) {
+	v := &ErrorResponse{Response: &http.Response{StatusCode: http.StatusNotFound} }
+	result, err := parseBoolResponse(v)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("parseBoolResponse returned error: %+v", err)
+	}
+
+	if want := false; result != want {
+		t.Errorf("parseBoolResponse returned %+v, want: %+v", result, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseBooleanResponse_error(t *testing.T) {
+	v := &ErrorResponse{Response: &http.Response{StatusCode: http.StatusBadRequest} }
+	result, err := parseBoolResponse(v)
+
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error to be returned.")
+	}
+
+	if want := false; result != want {
+		t.Errorf("parseBoolResponse returned %+v, want: %+v", result, want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestErrorResponse_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	res := &http.Response{Request: &http.Request{}}
 	err := ErrorResponse{Message: "m", Response: res}
diff --git a/github/orgs.go b/github/orgs.go
index 9654cad..641c223 100644
--- a/github/orgs.go
+++ b/github/orgs.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ package github
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
@@ -145,18 +144,7 @@ func (s *OrganizationsService) CheckMembership(org, user string) (bool, error) {
 	}
 
 	_, err = s.client.Do(req, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		if err, ok := err.(*ErrorResponse); ok && err.Response.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
-			// The user is not a member of the org. In this one case, we do not pass
-			// the error through.
-			return false, nil
-		} else {
-			// some other real error occurred
-			return false, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return err == nil, err
+	return parseBoolResponse(err)
 }
 
 // CheckPublicMembership checks if a user is a public member of an organization.
@@ -170,18 +158,7 @@ func (s *OrganizationsService) CheckPublicMembership(org, user string) (bool, er
 	}
 
 	_, err = s.client.Do(req, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		if err, ok := err.(*ErrorResponse); ok && err.Response.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
-			// The user is not a member of the org. In this one case, we do not pass
-			// the error through.
-			return false, nil
-		} else {
-			// some other real error occurred
-			return false, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return true, nil
+	return parseBoolResponse(err)
 }
 
 // RemoveMember removes a user from all teams of an organization.