diff --git a/cfg_checker/common/salt_utils.py b/cfg_checker/common/salt_utils.py
index 4dcbd30..7bd6ce7 100644
--- a/cfg_checker/common/salt_utils.py
+++ b/cfg_checker/common/salt_utils.py
@@ -46,13 +46,22 @@
     _ssh_cmd.append(_salt_cmd)
     _ssh_cmd = " ".join(_ssh_cmd)
     logger_cli.debug("... calling salt: '{}'".format(_ssh_cmd))
-    _result = shell(_ssh_cmd)
-    if len(_result) < 1:
-        raise InvalidReturnException("# Empty value returned for '{}".format(
-            _ssh_cmd
-        ))
-    else:
-        return _extract_password(_result)
+    try:
+        _result = shell(_ssh_cmd)
+        if len(_result) < 1:
+            raise InvalidReturnException(
+                "# Empty value returned for '{}".format(
+                    _ssh_cmd
+                )
+            )
+        else:
+            return _extract_password(_result)
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise SaltException(
+            "Salt error calling '{}': '{}'\n"
+            "\nConsider checking 'SALT_ENV' "
+            "and '<pkg>/etc/<env>.env' files".format(_ssh_cmd, e.strerror)
+        )
 
 
 def get_local_password():
@@ -60,8 +69,16 @@
 
     :return: password string
     """
-    _cmd = "salt-call --out=json pillar.get _param:salt_api_password"
-    _result = shell(_cmd)
+    _cmd = "salt-call"
+    _args = "--out=json pillar.get _param:salt_api_password"
+    try:
+        _result = shell(" ".join([_cmd, _args]))
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise SaltException(
+            "Salt error calling '{}': '{}'\n"
+            "\nConsider checking 'SALT_ENV' "
+            "and '<pkg>/etc/<env>.env' files".format(_cmd, e.strerror)
+        )
     return _extract_password(_result)