diff --git a/functions/src/definitions/common/calculateSimilarity.ts b/functions/src/definitions/common/calculateSimilarity.ts
index 35453823..3e6ba0f6 100644
--- a/functions/src/definitions/common/calculateSimilarity.ts
+++ b/functions/src/definitions/common/calculateSimilarity.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,12 @@ async function calculateSimilarity(
     score?: number
     parent?: admin.firestore.DocumentReference<admin.firestore.DocumentData> | null
   } = {}
-  const embedding = await getEmbedding(text)
-
+  let embedding = null
+  try {
+    embedding = await getEmbedding(text)
+  } catch (e) {
+    functions.logger.error(`Error in getEmbedding: ${e}`)
+  }
   //try to match db first
   const matchedInstancesSnap = await db
     .collectionGroup(CollectionTypes.Instances)
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ async function calculateSimilarity(
       // don't bother with vector search if remaining message is too short to be meaningful.
       functions.logger.log("Remaining message text too short to match")
       similarity = {}
-    } else {
+    } else if (embedding) {
       const results = await vectorSearch(
         embedding,
         CollectionTypes.Instances,
diff --git a/functions/src/definitions/common/classifier.ts b/functions/src/definitions/common/classifier.ts
index 7d2b5a23..94688541 100644
--- a/functions/src/definitions/common/classifier.ts
+++ b/functions/src/definitions/common/classifier.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
 import { getL1Category } from "./machineLearningServer/operations"
+import * as functions from "firebase-functions"
 
 async function classifyText(text: string): Promise<string> {
   if (text.length < 8) {
     return "irrelevant_length"
   }
-  const category = await getL1Category(text)
-  if (category === "trivial") {
-    return "irrelevant"
-  } else {
-    return category
+  try {
+    const category = await getL1Category(text)
+    if (category === "trivial") {
+      return "irrelevant"
+    } else {
+      return category
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    functions.logger.error(`Error in classifyText: ${e}`)
+    return "error"
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/onMessageUpdate.ts b/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/onMessageUpdate.ts
index 6fe53e2c..79b2ca7a 100644
--- a/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/onMessageUpdate.ts
+++ b/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/onMessageUpdate.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ import { rationaliseMessage } from "../common/genAI"
 
 const onMessageUpdate = functions
   .region("asia-southeast1")
-  .runWith({ secrets: ["WHATSAPP_USER_BOT_PHONE_NUMBER_ID", "WHATSAPP_TOKEN"] })
+  .runWith({
+    secrets: [
+      "WHATSAPP_USER_BOT_PHONE_NUMBER_ID",
+      "WHATSAPP_TOKEN",
+      "OPENAI_API_KEY",
+    ],
+  })
   .firestore.document("/messages/{messageId}")
   .onUpdate(async (change, context) => {
     // Grab the current value of what was written to Firestore.
diff --git a/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/userHandlers.ts b/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/userHandlers.ts
index 566ab213..d565ba4e 100644
--- a/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/userHandlers.ts
+++ b/functions/src/definitions/eventHandlers/userHandlers.ts
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ async function newTextInstanceHandler({
     replyTimestamp: null,
     matchType: matchType,
     scamShieldConsent: null,
-    embedding: embedding,
+    embedding: embedding ?? null,
     closestMatch: {
       instanceRef: bestMatchingDocumentRef ?? null,
       text: bestMatchingText ?? null,