diff --git a/src/json-pipe.js b/src/json-pipe.js
index 5c5e817a..54dc929e 100644
--- a/src/json-pipe.js
+++ b/src/json-pipe.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  * OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language
  * governing permissions and limitations under the License.
  */
+import { cleanupHeaderValue } from '@adobe/helix-shared-utils';
 import fetchConfigAll from './steps/fetch-config-all.js';
 import setCustomResponseHeaders from './steps/set-custom-response-headers.js';
 import { PipelineResponse } from './PipelineResponse.js';
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import { extractLastModified, updateLastModified } from './utils/last-modified.j
 import { authenticate } from './steps/authenticate.js';
 import fetchConfig from './steps/fetch-config.js';
 import { getPathInfo } from './utils/path.js';
+import { PipelineStatusError } from './PipelineStatusError.js';
 
 /**
  * Checks the fstab for folder mapping entries and then re-adjusts the path infos if needed.
@@ -74,48 +76,58 @@ export async function jsonPipe(state, req) {
     });
   }
 
-  // fetch config and apply the folder mapping
-  await fetchConfig(state, req);
-  await folderMapping(state);
+  try {
+    // fetch config and apply the folder mapping
+    await fetchConfig(state, req);
+    await folderMapping(state);
 
-  // fetch data from content bus
-  const { path } = state.info;
-  state.timer?.update('json-fetch');
-  let dataResponse = await s3Loader.getObject('helix-content-bus', `${contentBusId}/${partition}${path}`);
+    // fetch data from content bus
+    const { path } = state.info;
+    state.timer?.update('json-fetch');
+    let dataResponse = await s3Loader.getObject('helix-content-bus', `${contentBusId}/${partition}${path}`);
 
-  // if not found, fall back to code bus
-  if (dataResponse.status === 404) {
-    dataResponse = await s3Loader.getObject('helix-code-bus', `${owner}/${repo}/${ref}${path}`);
-  }
+    // if not found, fall back to code bus
+    if (dataResponse.status === 404) {
+      dataResponse = await s3Loader.getObject('helix-code-bus', `${owner}/${repo}/${ref}${path}`);
+    }
 
-  // if still not found, return status
-  if (dataResponse.status !== 200) {
-    if (dataResponse.status < 500) {
-      await fetchConfigAll(state, req, dataResponse);
-      await setCustomResponseHeaders(state, req, dataResponse);
+    // if still not found, return status
+    if (dataResponse.status !== 200) {
+      if (dataResponse.status < 500) {
+        await fetchConfigAll(state, req, dataResponse);
+        await setCustomResponseHeaders(state, req, dataResponse);
+      }
+      return dataResponse;
     }
-    return dataResponse;
-  }
-  const data = dataResponse.body;
+    const data = dataResponse.body;
 
-  // filter data
-  const response = jsonFilter(state, data, {
-    limit: limit ? Number.parseInt(limit, 10) : undefined,
-    offset: offset ? Number.parseInt(offset, 10) : undefined,
-    sheet,
-    raw: limit === undefined && offset === undefined && sheet === undefined,
-  });
+    // filter data
+    const response = jsonFilter(state, data, {
+      limit: limit ? Number.parseInt(limit, 10) : undefined,
+      offset: offset ? Number.parseInt(offset, 10) : undefined,
+      sheet,
+      raw: limit === undefined && offset === undefined && sheet === undefined,
+    });
 
-  // set last-modified
-  updateLastModified(state, response, extractLastModified(dataResponse.headers));
+    // set last-modified
+    updateLastModified(state, response, extractLastModified(dataResponse.headers));
 
-  // set surrogate key
-  response.headers.set('x-surrogate-key', `${contentBusId}${path}`.replace(/\//g, '_'));
+    // set surrogate key
+    response.headers.set('x-surrogate-key', `${contentBusId}${path}`.replace(/\//g, '_'));
 
-  // Load config-all and set response headers
-  await fetchConfigAll(state, req, response);
-  await authenticate(state, req, response);
-  await setCustomResponseHeaders(state, req, response);
+    // Load config-all and set response headers
+    await fetchConfigAll(state, req, response);
+    await authenticate(state, req, response);
+    await setCustomResponseHeaders(state, req, response);
 
-  return response;
+    return response;
+  } catch (e) {
+    const res = new PipelineResponse('', {
+      status: e instanceof PipelineStatusError ? e.code : 500,
+    });
+    const level = res.status >= 500 ? 'error' : 'info';
+    log[level](`pipeline status: ${res.status} ${e.message}`, e);
+    res.headers.set('x-error', cleanupHeaderValue(e.message));
+    return res;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/StaticS3Loader.js b/test/StaticS3Loader.js
index 2cda20e0..3301033e 100644
--- a/test/StaticS3Loader.js
+++ b/test/StaticS3Loader.js
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ export class StaticS3Loader {
       body: '',
       headers: new Map(),
     };
+    if (response instanceof Error) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.log(`StaticS3Loader: failing ${bucketId}/${key} -> ${response.message}`);
+      throw response;
+    }
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
     console.log(`StaticS3Loader: loading ${bucketId}/${key} -> ${response.status}`);
     return response;
diff --git a/test/json-pipe.test.js b/test/json-pipe.test.js
index aedc44c3..d6e27f46 100644
--- a/test/json-pipe.test.js
+++ b/test/json-pipe.test.js
@@ -380,6 +380,39 @@ describe('JSON Pipe Test', () => {
     assert.strictEqual(resp.status, 404);
   });
 
+  it('handles wrong branch error from content', async () => {
+    const state = new PipelineState({
+      path: '/en/index.json',
+      owner: 'owner',
+      repo: 'repo',
+      ref: 'ref',
+      partition: 'preview',
+      contentBusId: 'foobar',
+      s3Loader: new StaticS3Loader(),
+    });
+    const resp = await jsonPipe(state, new PipelineRequest('https://json-filter.com/'));
+    assert.strictEqual(resp.status, 404);
+  });
+
+  it('handles internal error', async () => {
+    const state = new PipelineState({
+      path: '/en/index.json',
+      owner: 'owner',
+      repo: 'repo',
+      ref: 'ref',
+      partition: 'preview',
+      contentBusId: 'foobar',
+      s3Loader: new StaticS3Loader()
+        .reply(
+          'helix-code-bus',
+          'owner/repo/ref/helix-config.json',
+          new Error('boom!'),
+        ),
+    });
+    const resp = await jsonPipe(state, new PipelineRequest('https://json-filter.com/'));
+    assert.strictEqual(resp.status, 500);
+  });
+
   it('handles error from filter', async () => {
     const state = new PipelineState({
       path: '/en/index.json',