diff --git a/gitlab/client.go b/gitlab/client.go
index 3c9c52d..ac033bd 100644
--- a/gitlab/client.go
+++ b/gitlab/client.go
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ func (r *RestClient) projectApiCall(method, project string, api string, body io.
 	if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusOK && response != nil {
 		decoder := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body)
 		err = decoder.Decode(response)
+	} else if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		buff, err2 := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		if err2 != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error reading body: %w", err2)
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("status %d: %s", resp.StatusCode, string(buff))
 	}
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/gitlab/client_test.go b/gitlab/client_test.go
index dcb2f5f..bca1ac0 100644
--- a/gitlab/client_test.go
+++ b/gitlab/client_test.go
@@ -80,6 +80,39 @@ func TestRestClient_GetTags(t *testing.T) {
 				return assert.EqualError(t, err, "invalid character 'a' looking for beginning of value")
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "unauthorized",
+			args: args{
+				project: "unboundsoftware/dummy",
+			},
+			handler: func(t *testing.T) http.HandlerFunc {
+				return func(writer http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Request) {
+					writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+					_, _ = writer.Write([]byte("token expired"))
+				}
+			},
+			want: nil,
+			wantErr: func(t assert.TestingT, err error, i ...interface{}) bool {
+				return assert.EqualError(t, err, "status 401: token expired")
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "error body length incorrect",
+			args: args{
+				project: "unboundsoftware/dummy",
+			},
+			handler: func(t *testing.T) http.HandlerFunc {
+				return func(writer http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Request) {
+					writer.Header().Set("Content-Length", "230")
+					writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+					_, _ = writer.Write([]byte("token expired"))
+				}
+			},
+			want: nil,
+			wantErr: func(t assert.TestingT, err error, i ...interface{}) bool {
+				return assert.EqualError(t, err, "error reading body: unexpected EOF")
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "success",
 			args: args{