diff --git a/bodhi/server/validators.py b/bodhi/server/validators.py
index 65c39c9e81..18a4ecd473 100644
--- a/bodhi/server/validators.py
+++ b/bodhi/server/validators.py
@@ -217,7 +217,8 @@ def cache_nvrs(request, build):
         request (pyramid.util.Request): The current request.
         build (basestring): The NVR of the build to cache.
     Raises:
-        ValueError: If any of the name, version, or release in build are found to be ''.
+        ValueError: If the build could not be found in koji.
+        koji.GenericError: If an error was thrown by koji's getBuild() call.
     """
     if build in request.buildinfo and 'nvr' in request.buildinfo[build]:
         return
@@ -228,6 +229,10 @@ def cache_nvrs(request, build):
     # We use Koji's information to get the NVR split, because modules can have dashes in their
     # stream.
     kbinfo = request.koji.getBuild(build)
+    if not kbinfo:
+        request.buildinfo[build]['info'] = None
+        request.buildinfo[build]['nvr'] = None
+        raise ValueError('Build %s did not exist' % build)
     request.buildinfo[build]['info'] = kbinfo
     request.buildinfo[build]['nvr'] = kbinfo['name'], kbinfo['version'], kbinfo['release']
 
@@ -245,8 +250,13 @@ def validate_nvrs(request, **kwargs):
             cache_nvrs(request, build)
         except ValueError:
             request.validated['builds'] = []
-            request.errors.add('body', 'builds', 'Build not in '
-                               'name-version-release format: %s' % build)
+            request.errors.add('body', 'builds', 'Build does not exist: %s' % build)
+            return
+        except koji.GenericError:
+            log.exception("Error retrieving koji build for %s" % build)
+            request.validated['builds'] = []
+            request.errors.add('body', 'builds',
+                               'Koji error getting build: %s' % build)
             return
 
 
diff --git a/bodhi/tests/server/services/test_updates.py b/bodhi/tests/server/services/test_updates.py
index f30225f6a2..df813b4f12 100644
--- a/bodhi/tests/server/services/test_updates.py
+++ b/bodhi/tests/server/services/test_updates.py
@@ -82,12 +82,6 @@ class TestNewUpdate(base.BaseTestCase):
     """
     This class contains tests for the new_update() function.
     """
-    @mock.patch(**mock_valid_requirements)
-    def test_invalid_build_name(self, *args):
-        res = self.app.post_json('/updates/', self.get_update(u'bodhi-2.0-1.fc17,invalidbuild-1.0'),
-                                 status=400)
-        assert 'Build not in name-version-release format' in res, res
-
     @mock.patch(**mock_valid_requirements)
     def test_empty_build_name(self, *args):
         res = self.app.post_json('/updates/', self.get_update([u'']), status=400)
@@ -265,6 +259,36 @@ def test_new_rpm_update(self, publish, *args):
         publish.assert_called_once_with(
             topic='update.request.testing', msg=mock.ANY)
 
+    @mock.patch.dict('bodhi.server.validators.config', {'acl_system': u'dummy'})
+    @mock.patch(**mock_uuid4_version1)
+    @mock.patch(**mock_valid_requirements)
+    @mock.patch('bodhi.server.notifications.publish')
+    def test_new_rpm_update_unknown_build(self, publish, *args):
+        with mock.patch('bodhi.server.buildsys.DevBuildsys.getBuild',
+                        return_value=None):
+            r = self.app.post_json('/updates/', self.get_update('bodhi-2.0.0-2.fc17'),
+                                   status=400)
+            up = r.json_body
+
+        self.assertEquals(up['status'], 'error')
+        self.assertEquals(up['errors'][0]['description'],
+                          "Build does not exist: bodhi-2.0.0-2.fc17")
+
+    @mock.patch.dict('bodhi.server.validators.config', {'acl_system': u'dummy'})
+    @mock.patch(**mock_uuid4_version1)
+    @mock.patch(**mock_valid_requirements)
+    @mock.patch('bodhi.server.notifications.publish')
+    def test_new_rpm_update_koji_error(self, publish, *args):
+        with mock.patch('bodhi.server.buildsys.DevBuildsys.getBuild',
+                        side_effect=koji.GenericError()):
+            r = self.app.post_json('/updates/', self.get_update('bodhi-2.0.0-2.fc17'),
+                                   status=400)
+            up = r.json_body
+
+        self.assertEquals(up['status'], 'error')
+        self.assertEquals(up['errors'][0]['description'],
+                          "Koji error getting build: bodhi-2.0.0-2.fc17")
+
     @mock.patch.dict('bodhi.server.validators.config', {'acl_system': u'dummy'})
     @mock.patch(**mock_uuid4_version1)
     @mock.patch(**mock_valid_requirements)