diff --git a/hcloud/metadata/client.go b/hcloud/metadata/client.go
index c56f1b94..a95fb10d 100644
--- a/hcloud/metadata/client.go
+++ b/hcloud/metadata/client.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package metadata
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
@@ -71,12 +72,16 @@ func (c *Client) get(path string) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	bodyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	resp.Body.Close()
-	return string(body), nil
+	body := string(bodyBytes)
+	if resp.StatusCode < 200 || resp.StatusCode >= 300 {
+		return body, fmt.Errorf("response status was %d", resp.StatusCode)
+	}
+	return body, nil
 }
 
 // IsHcloudServer checks if the currently called server is a hcloud server by calling a metadata endpoint
diff --git a/hcloud/metadata/client_test.go b/hcloud/metadata/client_test.go
index 001e76ed..ba1e59e2 100644
--- a/hcloud/metadata/client_test.go
+++ b/hcloud/metadata/client_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,24 @@ func newTestEnv() testEnv {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestClient_Base(t *testing.T) {
+	env := newTestEnv()
+	env.Mux.HandleFunc("/ok", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Write([]byte("ok"))
+	})
+	env.Mux.HandleFunc("/not-found", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(404)
+		w.Write([]byte("not found"))
+	})
+
+	if body, err := env.Client.get("/ok"); assert.NoError(t, err) {
+		assert.Equal(t, "ok", body)
+	}
+	if body, err := env.Client.get("/not-found"); assert.EqualError(t, err, "response status was 404") {
+		assert.Equal(t, "not found", body)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestClient_IsHcloudServer(t *testing.T) {
 	env := newTestEnv()
 	env.Mux.HandleFunc("/hostname", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {