diff --git a/src/install.js b/src/install.js
index dc3ade4e..a4d24228 100644
--- a/src/install.js
+++ b/src/install.js
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ Run ppm -v after installing Git to see what version has been detected.\
         retries: 4
       };
       const response = await request.get(requestSettings).catch(error => {
-        let message = `Request for package information failed: ${error.message}`;
+        let message = `Request for package information failed: ${request.getErrorMessage(null, error)}`;
         if (error.status) { message += ` (${error.status})`; }
         throw message;
       });
diff --git a/src/star.js b/src/star.js
index e5f7251b..6f4c29c0 100644
--- a/src/star.js
+++ b/src/star.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Run \`ppm stars\` to see all your starred packages.\
         }
       };
 
-      const response = await request.post(requestSettings).catch(error => { this.logFailure(); throw error; });
+      const response = await request.post(requestSettings).catch(error => { this.logFailure(); throw request.getErrorMessage(null, error); });
       const body = response.body ?? {};
       if ((response.statusCode === 404) && ignoreUnpublishedPackages) {
         process.stdout.write('skipped (not published)\n'.yellow);
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Run \`ppm stars\` to see all your starred packages.\
       }
       if (response.statusCode !== 200) {
         this.logFailure();
-        const message = request.getErrorMessage(body, error);
+        const message = request.getErrorMessage(body, null);
         throw `Starring package failed: ${message}`;
       }
 
diff --git a/src/unpublish.js b/src/unpublish.js
index 2b3210a5..64d66d57 100644
--- a/src/unpublish.js
+++ b/src/unpublish.js
@@ -49,18 +49,18 @@ name is specified.\
 
         if (packageVersion) { options.url += `/versions/${packageVersion}`; }
 
-        const response = await request.del(options).catch(error => { this.logFailure(); throw error; }); //it's not clear why we are calling logFailure in two layers (here and in the usual try-catch around it)
+        const response = await request.del(options).catch(error => { this.logFailure(); throw request.getErrorMessage(null, error); }); //it's not clear why we are calling logFailure in two layers (here and in the usual try-catch around it)
         const body = response.body ?? {};
         if (response.statusCode !== 204) {
           this.logFailure();
-          const message = body.message ?? body.error ?? body;
+          const message = request.getErrorMessage(body, null);
           throw `Unpublishing failed: ${message}`;
         }
 
         this.logSuccess();
       } catch (error) {
-          this.logFailure();
-          throw error;
+        this.logFailure();
+        throw error;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/view.js b/src/view.js
index e169d095..fab10be8 100644
--- a/src/view.js
+++ b/src/view.js
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@ View information about a package/theme.\
         url: `${config.getAtomPackagesUrl()}/${packageName}`,
         json: true
       };
-        
+
       const response = await request.get(requestSettings);
       const body = response.body ?? {};
       if (response.statusCode !== 200) {
-        const message = body.message ?? body.error ?? body;
+        const message = request.getErrorMessage(body, null);
         throw `Requesting package failed: ${message}`;
       }