diff --git a/lib/contracts/compiler.js b/lib/contracts/compiler.js
index 15f13b161..eb82a9b36 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/compiler.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/compiler.js
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ class Compiler {
         }
 
         self.logger.info("loading solc compiler..");
-        solcW.load_compiler(function () {
-          callback();
+        solcW.load_compiler(function (err) {
+          callback(err);
         });
       },
       function compileContracts(callback) {
diff --git a/lib/contracts/solcW.js b/lib/contracts/solcW.js
index 2087a903a..a801d1ec3 100644
--- a/lib/contracts/solcW.js
+++ b/lib/contracts/solcW.js
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ class SolcW {
       solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', solcLocation: 'solc'});
     } else {
       let npm = new Npm({logger: this.logger});
-      npm.getPackageVersion('solc', this.solcVersion, false, false, function(location) {
+      npm.getPackageVersion('solc', this.solcVersion, false, false, function(err, location) {
+        if (err) {
+          return done(err);
+        }
         let requirePath = path.join(process.env.PWD, location);
         solcProcess.send({action: 'loadCompiler', solcLocation: requirePath});
       });
diff --git a/lib/pipeline/npm.js b/lib/pipeline/npm.js
index fd5905bae..698c3f33a 100644
--- a/lib/pipeline/npm.js
+++ b/lib/pipeline/npm.js
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ class Npm {
     if (fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + "/" + packageName + ".js")) {
       if (returnContent) {
         let distFile = packageDirectory + packageName + ".js";
-        callback(fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
+        callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
       } else {
-        callback(packageDirectory);
+        callback(null, packageDirectory);
       }
     } else {
       fs.mkdirpSync(packageDirectory);
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ class Npm {
         utils.extractTar(packageDirectory + "/" + packageName + ".js", packageDirectory, function() {
           if (returnContent) {
             let distFile = packageDirectory + packageName + ".js";
-            callback(fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
+            callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
           } else {
-            callback(packageDirectory);
+            callback(null, packageDirectory);
           }
         });
       });
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ class Npm {
     if (fs.existsSync(packageDirectory + "/downloaded_package.tgz")) {
       if (returnContent) {
         let distFile = packageDirectory + returnContent;
-        callback(fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
+        callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
       } else {
-        callback(packageDirectory);
+        callback(null, packageDirectory);
       }
     } else {
       fs.mkdirpSync(packageDirectory);
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ class Npm {
         utils.extractTar(packageDirectory + "/downloaded_package.tgz", packageDirectory, function() {
           if (returnContent) {
             let distFile = packageDirectory + returnContent;
-            callback(fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
+            callback(null, fs.readFileSync(distFile).toString());
           } else {
-            callback(packageDirectory);
+            callback(null, packageDirectory);
           }
         });
       });
@@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ class Npm {
     let self = this;
     let npmRegistry = "https://registry.npmjs.org/" + packageName + "/" + version;
 
-    utils.httpsGet(npmRegistry, function (_err, body) {
+    utils.httpsGet(npmRegistry, function (err, body) {
+      if (err) {
+        if (err.code === 'ENOTFOUND') {
+          return callback("can't reach " + err.hostname + " to download " + packageName + " " + version + " - are you connected to the internet?");
+        }
+        return callback(err);
+      }
       let registryJSON = JSON.parse(body);
 
       if (getFromGit) {
diff --git a/lib/utils/utils.js b/lib/utils/utils.js
index 742a35470..a609be391 100644
--- a/lib/utils/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils/utils.js
@@ -42,9 +42,8 @@ function httpGetRequest(httpObj, url, callback) {
     res.on('end', function () {
       callback(null, body);
     });
-    res.on('error', function (err) {
-      callback(err);
-    });
+  }).on('error', function (err) {
+    callback(err);
   });
 }