diff --git a/src/gitea.rs b/src/gitea.rs
index 5ae2d2e..a508f0f 100644
--- a/src/gitea.rs
+++ b/src/gitea.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ pub fn get_releases(owner: &str, repo: &str) -> Result<Vec<Release>, String> {
     let url = format!("{}/repos/{}/{}/releases", GITEA_API_URL, owner, repo);
     let result = client.get(&url).send();
     if let Ok(resp) = result {
+        let status = resp.status();
+        if !status.is_success() {
+            return Err(format!("{} {}", status.as_str(), status.canonical_reason().unwrap_or("???")));
+        }
         let result = resp.json::<Vec<Release>>();
         if let Ok(data) = result {
             return Ok(data);
@@ -24,6 +28,10 @@ pub fn get_issue_by_index(owner: &str, repo: &str, index: usize) -> Result<Issue
     let url = format!("{}/repos/{}/{}/issues/{}", GITEA_API_URL, owner, repo, index);
     let result = client.get(&url).send();
     if let Ok(resp) = result {
+        let status = resp.status();
+        if !status.is_success() {
+            return Err(format!("{} {}", status.as_str(), status.canonical_reason().unwrap_or("???")));
+        }
         let result = resp.json::<Issue>();
         if let Ok(data) = result {
             return Ok(data);
diff --git a/src/gitea_command.rs b/src/gitea_command.rs
index 3746d46..efd3c9f 100644
--- a/src/gitea_command.rs
+++ b/src/gitea_command.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ pub fn gitea_release(interaction: &Interaction) -> InteractionResponse {
         return InteractionResponse::ChannelMessageWithSource {
             data: Some(InteractionApplicationCommandCallbackData {
                 tts: false,
-                content: format!("Gitea API error: `{}`", res.err().unwrap()),
+                content: format!("Gitea error: `{}`", res.err().unwrap()),
                 embeds: None,
                 allowed_mentions: None
             })
@@ -128,7 +128,11 @@ pub fn gitea_issue(interaction: &Interaction) -> InteractionResponse {
         for t in resp.labels {
             tags.push(format!("{}", &t.name));
         }
-        let tag_str = tags.join(", ");
+        let tag_str = if tags.is_empty() {
+            "<none>".to_string()
+        } else {
+            tags.join(", ")
+        };
         // build embed
         let embed = Embed {
             title: Some(format!("Issue #{}", index)),
@@ -178,7 +182,7 @@ pub fn gitea_issue(interaction: &Interaction) -> InteractionResponse {
         return InteractionResponse::ChannelMessageWithSource {
             data: Some(InteractionApplicationCommandCallbackData {
                 tts: false,
-                content: format!("Gitea API error: `{}`", res.err().unwrap()),
+                content: format!("Gitea error: `{}`", res.err().unwrap()),
                 embeds: None,
                 allowed_mentions: None
             })