diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
index 0e2fd5d3..fa098281 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+{% if update_error %}
+<div class="notification is-danger is-light">
+    <span class="icon icon-x" aria-hidden="true"></span>
+    <span>
+        {% trans "Unable to connect to remote source." %}
+    </span>
+</div>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% with user_authenticated=request.user.is_authenticated can_edit_book=perms.bookwyrm.edit_book %}
 <div class="block" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Book">
     <div class="columns is-mobile">
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books/books.py b/bookwyrm/views/books/books.py
index ad7ee943..a010c300 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books/books.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books/books.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 
 from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from bookwyrm.activitypub import ActivitypubResponse
-from bookwyrm.connectors import connector_manager
+from bookwyrm.connectors import connector_manager, ConnectorException
 from bookwyrm.connectors.abstract_connector import get_image
 from bookwyrm.settings import PAGE_LENGTH
 from bookwyrm.views.helpers import is_api_request
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from bookwyrm.views.helpers import is_api_request
 class Book(View):
     """a book! this is the stuff"""
 
-    def get(self, request, book_id, user_statuses=False):
+    def get(self, request, book_id, user_statuses=False, update_error=False):
         """info about a book"""
         if is_api_request(request):
             book = get_object_or_404(
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ class Book(View):
             else None,
             "rating": reviews.aggregate(Avg("rating"))["rating__avg"],
             "lists": lists,
+            "update_error": update_error,
         }
 
         if request.user.is_authenticated:
@@ -191,6 +192,10 @@ def update_book_from_remote(request, book_id, connector_identifier):
     )
     book = get_object_or_404(models.Book.objects.select_subclasses(), id=book_id)
 
-    connector.update_book_from_remote(book)
+    try:
+        connector.update_book_from_remote(book)
+    except ConnectorException:
+        # the remote source isn't available or doesn't know this book
+        return Book().get(request, book_id, update_error=True)
 
     return redirect("book", book.id)