diff --git a/block.py b/block.py
index 79d0aee..6156189 100644
--- a/block.py
+++ b/block.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import asyncio
 
 import view
 from util import isoformatseconds
+from rpc import RPCError
 
 
 class BlockStore(object):
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 95faa1d..bd4009d 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -54,8 +54,13 @@ async def poll_client(client, method, callback, sleeptime, params=None):
     await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
 
     while True:
-        j = await client.request(method, params=params)
-        await callback(method, j)
+        try:
+            d = await client.request(method, params=params)
+        except rpc.RPCError:
+            await asyncio.sleep(sleeptime)
+            continue
+
+        await callback(method, d)
         await asyncio.sleep(sleeptime)
 
 
@@ -89,17 +94,28 @@ def initialize():
     return client, args.nosplash
 
 
-def check_disablewallet(client):
+def wallet_enabled(client):
     """ Check if the wallet is enabled. """
 
+    async def check_getwalletinfo(client):
+        try:
+            await client.request("getwalletinfo")
+        except rpc.RPCError:
+            return False
+
+        try:
+            x.result()[0]["result"]["walletname"]
+        except (KeyError, TypeError):
+            return False
+
+        return True
+
     # Ugly, a synchronous RPC request mechanism would be nice here.
-    x = asyncio.gather(client.request("getwalletinfo"))
+    check = asyncio.gather(check_getwalletinfo(client))
     loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
-    loop.run_until_complete(x)
+    loop.run_until_complete(check)
 
-    try:
-        x.result()[0]["result"]["walletname"]
-    except (KeyError, TypeError):
+    if check.result():
         return True
 
     return False
@@ -210,7 +226,7 @@ def create_tasks(client, window, nosplash):
         splashview.draw(nosplash),
     ]
 
-    if not check_disablewallet(client):
+    if wallet_enabled(client):
         tasks.append(
             poll_client(client, "getwalletinfo", headerview.on_walletinfo, 1.0)
         )
diff --git a/rpc.py b/rpc.py
index 31200b2..7609f67 100644
--- a/rpc.py
+++ b/rpc.py
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ def get_auth_from_datadir(datadir):
         return craft_auth_from_credentials(rpcuser, rpcpassword)
 
 
+class RPCError(BaseException):
+    # TODO: include the error code, etc.
+    pass
+
+
 class BitcoinRPCClient(object):
     def __init__(self, url, auth):
         self._url = url
@@ -109,8 +114,32 @@ class BitcoinRPCClient(object):
             async with session.post(self._url, headers=self._headers, data=req) as response:
                 return await response.text()
 
+    @staticmethod
+    async def _json_loads(j):
+        return json.loads(j)
+
     async def request(self, method, params=None, ident=None, callback=None):
         async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
             req = await self._craft_request(method, params, ident)
-            html = await self._fetch(session, req)
-            return json.loads(html)
+            j = await self._fetch(session, req)
+            d = await self._json_loads(j)
+
+            try:
+                error = d["error"]
+            except KeyError:
+                raise RPCError("RPC response seems malformed (no error field)")
+
+            if error is not None:
+                # TODO: pass the error up the stack; tweak RPCError
+                raise RPCError("RPC response returned error {}".format(error))
+
+            try:
+                result = d["result"]
+            except KeyError:
+                raise RPCError("RPC response seems malformed (no result field)")
+
+            if result is None:
+                # Is there a case in which a query can return None?
+                raise RPCError("RPC response returned a null result")
+
+            return d