diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/2chen.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/2chen.py
index 78b0aae9..0c370382 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/2chen.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/2chen.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class _2chenThreadExtractor(_2chenExtractor):
         board = self.groups[-2]
         thread = self.kwdict["thread"] = self.groups[-1]
         url = f"{self.root}/{board}/{thread}"
-        page = self.request(url, encoding="utf-8", notfound="thread").text
+        page = self.request(url, encoding="utf-8", notfound=True).text
 
         self.kwdict["board"], pos = text.extract(
             page, 'class="board">/', '/<')
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class _2chenBoardExtractor(_2chenExtractor):
 
     def items(self):
         url = f"{self.root}/{self.groups[-1]}/catalog"
-        page = self.request(url, notfound="board").text
+        page = self.request(url, notfound=True).text
         data = {"_extractor": _2chenThreadExtractor}
         for thread in text.extract_iter(
                 page, '<figure><a href="', '"'):
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/ao3.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/ao3.py
index 6c044a6c..72a69432 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/ao3.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/ao3.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class Ao3WorkExtractor(Ao3Extractor):
 
         work_id = self.groups[0]
         url = f"{self.root}/works/{work_id}"
-        response = self.request(url, notfound="work")
+        response = self.request(url, notfound=True)
 
         if response.url.endswith("/users/login?restricted=true"):
             raise exception.AuthorizationError(
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/artstation.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/artstation.py
index 9c0f5ed4..58a547be 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/artstation.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/artstation.py
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ class ArtstationCollectionExtractor(ArtstationExtractor):
         url = f"{self.root}/collections/{self.collection_id}.json"
         params = {"username": self.user}
         collection = self.request_json(
-            url, params=params, notfound="collection")
+            url, params=params, notfound=True)
         return {"collection": collection, "user": self.user}
 
     def projects(self):
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ class ArtstationCollectionsExtractor(ArtstationExtractor):
         params = {"username": self.user}
 
         for collection in self.request_json(
-                url, params=params, notfound="collections"):
+                url, params=params, notfound=True):
             url = f"{self.root}/{self.user}/collections/{collection['id']}"
             collection["_extractor"] = ArtstationCollectionExtractor
             yield Message.Queue, url, collection
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/cien.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/cien.py
index d7dab489..7d6c3b3f 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/cien.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/cien.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class CienArticleExtractor(CienExtractor):
     def items(self):
         author_id, post_id = self.groups
         url = f"{self.root}/creator/{author_id}/article/{post_id}"
-        page = self.request(url, notfound="article").text
+        page = self.request(url, notfound=True).text
 
         files = self._extract_files(page)
         post = self._extract_jsonld(page)[0]
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/common.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/common.py
index 69c68568..12b589f4 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/common.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/common.py
@@ -216,7 +216,9 @@ class Extractor():
                     if encoding:
                         response.encoding = encoding
                     return response
-                if notfound and code == 404:
+                if notfound is not None and code == 404:
+                    if notfound is True:
+                        notfound = self.__class__.subcategory
                     self.status |= exception.NotFoundError.code
                     raise exception.NotFoundError(notfound)
 
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
index 04671086..aec14cb6 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
@@ -1277,7 +1277,7 @@ class DeviantartDeviationExtractor(DeviantartExtractor):
         else:
             url = f"{self.root}/view/{self.deviation_id}/"
 
-        page = self._limited_request(url, notfound="deviation").text
+        page = self._limited_request(url, notfound=True).text
         uuid = text.extr(page, '"deviationUuid\\":\\"', '\\')
         if not uuid:
             raise exception.NotFoundError("deviation")
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/hotleak.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/hotleak.py
index 600984e9..9c849a8c 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/hotleak.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/hotleak.py
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class HotleakCreatorExtractor(HotleakExtractor):
         while True:
             try:
                 response = self.request(
-                    url, headers=headers, params=params, notfound="creator")
+                    url, headers=headers, params=params, notfound=True)
             except exception.HttpError as exc:
                 if exc.response.status_code == 429:
                     self.wait(
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/imagebam.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/imagebam.py
index 50344a8b..7067c7d4 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/imagebam.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/imagebam.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class ImagebamGalleryExtractor(ImagebamExtractor):
     example = "https://www.imagebam.com/view/GID"
 
     def items(self):
-        page = self.request(self.root + self.path, notfound="gallery").text
+        page = self.request(self.root + self.path, notfound=True).text
 
         images = self.images(page)
         images.reverse()
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/patreon.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/patreon.py
index cdfda0f2..2a1282e4 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/patreon.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/patreon.py
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class PatreonCreatorExtractor(PatreonExtractor):
             url = f"{self.root}/user?u={user_id}"
         else:
             url = f"{self.root}/{creator}"
-        page = self.request(url, notfound="creator").text
+        page = self.request(url, notfound=True).text
 
         try:
             data = None
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ class PatreonPostExtractor(PatreonExtractor):
 
     def posts(self):
         url = f"{self.root}/posts/{self.groups[0]}"
-        page = self.request(url, notfound="post").text
+        page = self.request(url, notfound=True).text
         bootstrap = self._extract_bootstrap(page)
 
         try:
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/seiga.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/seiga.py
index 705227df..8ea4f24a 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/seiga.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/seiga.py
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ class SeigaImageExtractor(SeigaExtractor):
             "skip_fetish_warning", "1", domain="seiga.nicovideo.jp")
 
         url = f"{self.root}/seiga/im{self.image_id}"
-        page = self.request(url, notfound="image").text
+        page = self.request(url, notfound=True).text
 
         data = text.extract_all(page, (
             ("date"        , '<li class="date"><span class="created">', '<'),