diff --git a/sparkpost/exceptions.py b/sparkpost/exceptions.py
index 0fdb00d..3c2a9e9 100644
--- a/sparkpost/exceptions.py
+++ b/sparkpost/exceptions.py
@@ -5,17 +5,14 @@ class SparkPostException(Exception):
 class SparkPostAPIException(SparkPostException):
     "Handle 4xx and 5xx errors from the SparkPost API"
     def __init__(self, response, *args, **kwargs):
-        errors = None
         try:
             errors = response.json()['errors']
-            errors = [e['message'] +
-                      ' Code: ' + e.get('code', '') +
-                      ' Description: ' + e.get('description', '') +
-                      '\n'
+            error_template = "{message} Code: {code} Description: {desc} \n"
+            errors = [error_template.format(message=e.get('message', ''),
+                                            code=e.get('code', 'none'),
+                                            desc=e.get('description', 'none'))
                       for e in errors]
         except:
-            pass
-        if not errors:
             errors = [response.text or ""]
         self.status = response.status_code
         self.response = response
diff --git a/test/test_base.py b/test/test_base.py
index 0bd59cd..aff6b79 100644
--- a/test/test_base.py
+++ b/test/test_base.py
@@ -92,6 +92,20 @@ def test_fail_nojson_request():
         resource.request('GET', resource.uri)
 
 
+@responses.activate
+def test_fail_no_errors():
+    responses.add(
+        responses.GET,
+        fake_uri,
+        status=500,
+        content_type='application/json',
+        body='no errors'
+    )
+    resource = create_resource()
+    with pytest.raises(SparkPostAPIException):
+        resource.request('GET', resource.uri)
+
+
 def test_fail_get():
     resource = create_resource()
     with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
diff --git a/test/test_transmissions.py b/test/test_transmissions.py
index c2d4e32..9847fb2 100644
--- a/test/test_transmissions.py
+++ b/test/test_transmissions.py
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ def test_fail_delete():
         content_type='application/json',
         body="""
         {"errors": [{"message": "resource not found",
-            "description": "Resource not found:transmission id foobar""}]}
+            "description": "Resource not found:transmission id foobar"}]}
         """
     )
     with pytest.raises(SparkPostAPIException):