diff --git a/extensions/cactus-plugin-object-store-ipfs/src/main/typescript/plugin-object-store-ipfs.ts b/extensions/cactus-plugin-object-store-ipfs/src/main/typescript/plugin-object-store-ipfs.ts
index 57e76c427b9..037e0e4cfe4 100644
--- a/extensions/cactus-plugin-object-store-ipfs/src/main/typescript/plugin-object-store-ipfs.ts
+++ b/extensions/cactus-plugin-object-store-ipfs/src/main/typescript/plugin-object-store-ipfs.ts
@@ -168,13 +168,19 @@ export class PluginObjectStoreIpfs implements IPluginObjectStore {
             ex,
           );
         }
-      } else if (ex instanceof Error) {
-        throw new RuntimeError(`unexpected exception`, ex);
       } else {
-        throw new RuntimeError(
-          "unexpected exception with incorrect type ",
-          JSON.stringify(ex),
-        );
+        if (
+          (ex as any).stack?.includes(K_IPFS_JS_HTTP_ERROR_FILE_DOES_NOT_EXIST)
+        ) {
+          const msg = `Stat ${req.key} failed with error message containing phrase "${K_IPFS_JS_HTTP_ERROR_FILE_DOES_NOT_EXIST}" Returning isPresent=false ...`;
+          this.log.debug(msg);
+          return { key: req.key, checkedAt, isPresent: false };
+        } else {
+          throw new RuntimeError(
+            `Checking presence of ${req.key} crashed:`,
+            JSON.stringify(ex),
+          );
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/cactus-plugin-keychain-vault/src/main/typescript/plugin-keychain-vault.ts b/packages/cactus-plugin-keychain-vault/src/main/typescript/plugin-keychain-vault.ts
index 69d999ff993..226346fff81 100644
--- a/packages/cactus-plugin-keychain-vault/src/main/typescript/plugin-keychain-vault.ts
+++ b/packages/cactus-plugin-keychain-vault/src/main/typescript/plugin-keychain-vault.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import { GetKeychainEntryEndpointV1 } from "./web-services/get-keychain-entry-en
 import { SetKeychainEntryEndpointV1 } from "./web-services/set-keychain-entry-endpoint-v1";
 import { HasKeychainEntryEndpointV1 } from "./web-services/has-keychain-entry-endpoint-v1";
 import { DeleteKeychainEntryEndpointV1 } from "./web-services/delete-keychain-entry-endpoint-v1";
-import axios from "axios";
+
 export interface IPluginKeychainVaultOptions extends ICactusPluginOptions {
   logLevel?: LogLevelDesc;
   keychainId: string;
@@ -232,12 +232,8 @@ export class PluginKeychainVault implements IPluginWebService, IPluginKeychain {
       if ((ex as any).response?.statusCode === HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND) {
         return (null as unknown) as string;
       } else {
-        if ((ex as any).response?.status === HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND) {
-          return (null as unknown) as string;
-        } else {
-          this.log.error(`Retrieval of "${key}" crashed:`, ex);
-          throw ex;
-        }
+        this.log.error(`Retrieval of "${key}" crashed:`, ex);
+        throw ex;
       }
     }
   }
@@ -263,12 +259,8 @@ export class PluginKeychainVault implements IPluginWebService, IPluginKeychain {
       if ((ex as any).response?.statusCode === HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND) {
         return false;
       } else {
-        if ((ex as any).response?.status === HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND) {
-          return false;
-        } else {
-          this.log.error(`Presence check of "${key}" crashed:`, ex);
-          throw ex;
-        }
+        this.log.error(`Presence check of "${key}" crashed:`, ex);
+        throw ex;
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/cactus-test-plugin-htlc-eth-besu/src/test/typescript/integration/plugin-htlc-eth-besu/initialize-endpoint-invalid.test.ts b/packages/cactus-test-plugin-htlc-eth-besu/src/test/typescript/integration/plugin-htlc-eth-besu/initialize-endpoint-invalid.test.ts
index 61e867073b8..44429f32647 100644
--- a/packages/cactus-test-plugin-htlc-eth-besu/src/test/typescript/integration/plugin-htlc-eth-besu/initialize-endpoint-invalid.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cactus-test-plugin-htlc-eth-besu/src/test/typescript/integration/plugin-htlc-eth-besu/initialize-endpoint-invalid.test.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import { PluginKeychainMemory } from "@hyperledger/cactus-plugin-keychain-memory
 import { DataTest } from "../data-test";
 import DemoHelperJSON from "../../../solidity/contracts/DemoHelpers.json";
 import HashTimeLockJSON from "../../../../../../cactus-plugin-htlc-eth-besu/src/main/solidity/contracts/HashTimeLock.json";
-import axios from "axios";
 
 const connectorId = uuidv4();
 const logLevel: LogLevelDesc = "INFO";