diff --git a/arangosh/V8Client/V8ClientConnection.cpp b/arangosh/V8Client/V8ClientConnection.cpp
index a4eba9b1b8..c6cbdf1a1b 100644
--- a/arangosh/V8Client/V8ClientConnection.cpp
+++ b/arangosh/V8Client/V8ClientConnection.cpp
@@ -123,11 +123,11 @@ V8ClientConnection::V8ClientConnection (Endpoint* endpoint,
       }
     }
     else {
-      // initial request for /_api/version return some non-HTTP 200 response.
+      // initial request for /_api/version returned some non-HTTP 200 response.
       // now set up an error message
       _lastErrorMessage = _client->getErrorMessage();
 
-      if (result) {
+      if (result && result->getHttpReturnCode() > 0) {
         _lastErrorMessage = StringUtils::itoa(result->getHttpReturnCode()) + ": " + result->getHttpReturnMessage();
       }
     }
diff --git a/lib/SimpleHttpClient/SimpleHttpClient.h b/lib/SimpleHttpClient/SimpleHttpClient.h
index acbf915d93..48ed38f062 100644
--- a/lib/SimpleHttpClient/SimpleHttpClient.h
+++ b/lib/SimpleHttpClient/SimpleHttpClient.h
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ namespace triagens {
 
       void setErrorMessage (const std::string& message,
                             int error) {
-        if (error != 0) {
+        if (error != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
           _errorMessage = message + ": " + strerror(error);
         }
         else {