diff --git a/python-client/tira/rest_api_client.py b/python-client/tira/rest_api_client.py
index 918ae096..e1fe340a 100644
--- a/python-client/tira/rest_api_client.py
+++ b/python-client/tira/rest_api_client.py
@@ -635,7 +635,12 @@ def json_response(self, endpoint: str, params: Optional[Union[Dict, List[tuple],
                     break
             except Exception as e:
                 sleep_time = randint(1, self.failsave_max_delay)
-                logging.warn(f'Error occured while fetching {endpoint}. Code: {resp.status_code}. I will sleep {sleep_time} seconds and continue.', exc_info=e)
+                response_code = "'unknown response code, maybe there was a timeout?'"
+                try:
+                    response_code = resp.status_code
+                except:
+                    pass
+                logging.warn(f'Error occured while fetching {endpoint}. Code: {response_code}. I will sleep {sleep_time} seconds and continue.', exc_info=e)
                 time.sleep(sleep_time)
 
         return resp.json()