diff --git a/api/comment_get.go b/api/comment_get.go
index 5c14540..14b33a7 100644
--- a/api/comment_get.go
+++ b/api/comment_get.go
@@ -2,29 +2,20 @@ package main
 
 import ()
 
-func commentGetByCommentHex(commentHex string) (comment, error) {
-	if commentHex == "" {
-		return comment{}, errorMissingField
-	}
+var commentsRowColumns = `
+	comments.commentHex,
+	comments.commenterHex,
+	comments.markdown,
+	comments.html,
+	comments.parentHex,
+	comments.score,
+	comments.state,
+	comments.deleted,
+	comments.creationDate
+`
 
-	statement := `
-		SELECT
-			commentHex,
-			commenterHex,
-			markdown,
-			html,
-			parentHex,
-			score,
-			state,
-			deleted,
-			creationDate
-		FROM comments
-		WHERE comments.commentHex = $1;
-	`
-	row := db.QueryRow(statement, commentHex)
-
-	c := comment{}
-	if err := row.Scan(
+func commentsRowScan(s sqlScanner, c *comment) error {
+	return s.Scan(
 		&c.CommentHex,
 		&c.CommenterHex,
 		&c.Markdown,
@@ -33,7 +24,24 @@ func commentGetByCommentHex(commentHex string) (comment, error) {
 		&c.Score,
 		&c.State,
 		&c.Deleted,
-		&c.CreationDate); err != nil {
+		&c.CreationDate,
+	)
+}
+
+func commentGetByCommentHex(commentHex string) (comment, error) {
+	if commentHex == "" {
+		return comment{}, errorMissingField
+	}
+
+	statement := `
+		SELECT ` + commentsRowColumns + `
+		FROM comments
+		WHERE comments.commentHex = $1;
+	`
+	row := db.QueryRow(statement, commentHex)
+
+	var c comment
+	if err := commentsRowScan(row, &c); err != nil {
 		// TODO: is this the only error?
 		return c, errorNoSuchComment
 	}