diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
index 7b322419..8a28714a 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/dispatcher.py
@@ -32,27 +32,33 @@ class MpdDispatcher(object):
         self.command_list_ok = False
         self.context = MpdContext(self, session=session)
 
-    def handle_request(self, request, command_list_index=None):
+    def handle_request(self, request, current_command_list_index=None):
         """Dispatch incoming requests to the correct handler."""
-        if self.command_list is not False and request != u'command_list_end':
+        if self._is_receiving_command_list(request):
             self.command_list.append(request)
             return None
+
         try:
-            result = self._call_handler(request)
+            try:
+                result = self._call_handler(request)
+            except ActorDeadError as e:
+                logger.warning(u'Tried to communicate with dead actor.')
+                raise MpdSystemError(e.message)
         except MpdAckError as e:
-            if command_list_index is not None:
-                e.index = command_list_index
+            if current_command_list_index is not None:
+                e.index = current_command_list_index
             return self._format_response(e.get_mpd_ack(), add_ok=False)
-        except ActorDeadError as e:
-            logger.warning(u'Tried to communicate with dead actor.')
-            mpd_error = MpdSystemError(e.message)
-            return self._format_response(mpd_error.get_mpd_ack(), add_ok=False)
-        if request in (u'command_list_begin', u'command_list_ok_begin'):
-            return None
-        if command_list_index is not None:
+
+        if (request in (u'command_list_begin', u'command_list_ok_begin')
+                or current_command_list_index is not None):
             return self._format_response(result, add_ok=False)
+
         return self._format_response(result)
 
+    def _is_receiving_command_list(self, request):
+        return (self.command_list is not False
+            and request != u'command_list_end')
+
     def _call_handler(self, request):
         (handler, kwargs) = self._find_handler(request)
         return handler(self.context, **kwargs)
diff --git a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/command_list.py b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/command_list.py
index 78fccec6..ffdf58d7 100644
--- a/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/command_list.py
+++ b/mopidy/frontends/mpd/protocol/command_list.py
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ def command_list_end(context):
     (command_list_ok, context.dispatcher.command_list_ok) = (
         context.dispatcher.command_list_ok, False)
     result = []
-    for i, command in enumerate(command_list):
+    for index, command in enumerate(command_list):
         response = context.dispatcher.handle_request(
-            command, command_list_index=i)
+            command, current_command_list_index=index)
         if response is not None:
             result.append(response)
         if response and response[-1].startswith(u'ACK'):
diff --git a/tests/frontends/mpd/command_list_test.py b/tests/frontends/mpd/command_list_test.py
index 3537ee77..542d1265 100644
--- a/tests/frontends/mpd/command_list_test.py
+++ b/tests/frontends/mpd/command_list_test.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class CommandListsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_command_list_begin(self):
         result = self.dispatcher.handle_request(u'command_list_begin')
-        self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(result, [])
 
     def test_command_list_end(self):
         self.dispatcher.handle_request(u'command_list_begin')
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class CommandListsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_command_list_ok_begin(self):
         result = self.dispatcher.handle_request(u'command_list_ok_begin')
-        self.assert_(result is None)
+        self.assertEquals(result, [])
 
     def test_command_list_ok_with_ping(self):
         self.dispatcher.handle_request(u'command_list_ok_begin')