diff --git a/lib/pbench/server/api/resources/relay.py b/lib/pbench/server/api/resources/relay.py
index a44c58e83e..e5306631ad 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/server/api/resources/relay.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/server/api/resources/relay.py
@@ -76,7 +76,12 @@ def _identify(self, args: ApiParams, request: Request) -> Intake:
             APIAbort on failure
         """
         uri = args.uri["uri"]
-        response = requests.get(uri, headers={"Accept": "application/json"})
+        try:
+            response = requests.get(uri, headers={"Accept": "application/json"})
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise APIAbort(
+                HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY, f"Unable to connect to manifest URI: {str(e)!r}"
+            )
         if not response.ok:
             raise APIAbort(
                 HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY,
@@ -121,9 +126,16 @@ def _stream(self, intake: Intake, request: Request) -> Access:
         Raises:
             APIAbort on failure
         """
-        response: requests.Response = requests.get(
-            url=intake.uri, stream=True, headers={"Accept": "application/octet-stream"}
-        )
+        try:
+            response: requests.Response = requests.get(
+                url=intake.uri,
+                stream=True,
+                headers={"Accept": "application/octet-stream"},
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise APIAbort(
+                HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY, f"Unable to connect to results URI: {str(e)!r}"
+            )
         if not response.ok:
             raise APIAbort(
                 response.status_code,
diff --git a/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/test_relay.py b/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/test_relay.py
index ae9affbcd5..ecbdb288e7 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/test_relay.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/test_relay.py
@@ -215,6 +215,24 @@ def test_relay_tar_fail(self, client, server_config, pbench_drb_token, tarball):
             "message": "Unable to retrieve relay tarball: 'Not Found'"
         }
 
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_relay_manifest_connection(self, client, server_config, pbench_drb_token):
+        """Verify behavior when the primary relay URI doesn't respond"""
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            "https://relay.example.com/uri1",
+            body=ConnectionError("nobody holme"),
+        )
+        response = client.post(
+            self.gen_uri(server_config, "https://relay.example.com/uri1"),
+            headers=self.gen_headers(pbench_drb_token),
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY
+        assert (
+            response.json["message"]
+            == "Unable to connect to manifest URI: 'nobody holme'"
+        )
+
     @responses.activate
     def test_relay_no_manifest(self, client, server_config, pbench_drb_token):
         """Verify behavior when the primary relay URI isn't found"""
@@ -321,3 +339,37 @@ def throw(self, args: ApiParams, request: Request) -> Intake:
         assert (
             response.status_code == HTTPStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
         ), f"Unexpected result, {response.text}"
+
+    @responses.activate
+    def test_relay_tarball_connection(
+        self, client, server_config, pbench_drb_token, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """Verify behavior when we get a connection error reading the tarball"""
+
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            "https://relay.example.com/uri1",
+            status=HTTPStatus.OK,
+            json={
+                "name": "tarball.tar.xz",
+                "md5": "anmd5",
+                "access": "private",
+                "metadata": [],
+                "uri": "https://relay.example.com/uri2",
+            },
+        )
+        responses.add(
+            responses.GET,
+            "https://relay.example.com/uri2",
+            body=ConnectionError("leaky wire"),
+        )
+        response = client.post(
+            self.gen_uri(server_config, "https://relay.example.com/uri1"),
+            headers=self.gen_headers(pbench_drb_token),
+        )
+        assert (
+            response.status_code == HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY
+        ), f"Unexpected result, {response.text}"
+        assert (
+            response.json["message"] == "Unable to connect to results URI: 'leaky wire'"
+        )