diff --git a/_modules/gerrit.py b/_modules/gerrit.py
index 6de9f0e..6f20230 100644
--- a/_modules/gerrit.py
+++ b/_modules/gerrit.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
     elif response == '':
         value = False
     else:
-        raise AnsibleGerritError(
+        raise Exception(
             "Unexpected response for %s: %s" % (path, response))
     return value
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
     try:
         value = gerrit.get(path)
     except Exception as e:
-        if e.response.status_code == 404:
+        if e.response and e.response.status_code == 404:
             logging.debug("Ignoring exception %s", e)
             logging.debug("Got %s", e.response.__dict__)
             value = None
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@
                 gerrit.delete(membership_path)
                 changed = True
             except Exception as e:
-                if e.response.status_code == 404:
+                if e.response and e.response.status_code == 404:
                     # This is a kludge, it'd be better to work out in advance
                     # which groups the user is a member of only via membership
                     # in a different. That's not trivial though with the
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@
     try:
         account_info = gerrit.get('/accounts/%s' % _quote(username))
     except Exception as e:
-        if e.response.status_code == 404:
+        if e.response and e.response.status_code == 404:
             logging.info("Account %s not found, creating it.", username)
             account_info = _create_account(gerrit, username)
             change = True
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@
     try:
         group_info = gerrit.get('/groups/%s' % _quote(name))
     except Exception as e:
-        if e.response.status_code == 404:
+        if e.response and e.response.status_code == 404:
             logging.info("Group %s not found, creating it.", name)
             group_info = _create_group(gerrit, name)
             change = True