diff --git a/lib/core.js b/lib/core.js
index f9255a2..9dfec6a 100644
--- a/lib/core.js
+++ b/lib/core.js
@@ -723,8 +723,7 @@ async function checkMerge(context, pullRequest) {
     } else if (isMergeCheckError(error)) {
       context.log.debug(ctx, `skipping: ${error.message}`);
     } else {
-      context.log.error(ctx, 'skipping: merge check error');
-      context.log.error(error);
+      throw error;
     }
 
     return false;
@@ -932,6 +931,10 @@ function getEffectiveReviewTeams(teams, reviewers, requestedTeams) {
  */
 async function getTeamsWithMembers(context, pullRequest, reviewTeams) {
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
   const org = getPullRequestTargetOrg(pullRequest);
 
   const teamMembers = await Promise.all(reviewTeams.map(async (teamSlug) => {
@@ -943,6 +946,8 @@ async function getTeamsWithMembers(context, pullRequest, reviewTeams) {
       team_slug: teamSlug
     }).catch(error => {
 
+      context.log.debug(ctx, `failed to fetch team ${teamSlug}`, error);
+
       // app is missing missing permissions
       if (error.status === 403) {
         throw MergeCheckError(`failed to fetch team ${org}/${teamSlug} (status=403)`);