diff --git a/http/client.go b/http/client.go
index 75d3c75c7..e7c94fe16 100644
--- a/http/client.go
+++ b/http/client.go
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ func (c *InternalClient) maxShardByIndex(ctx context.Context) (map[string]uint64
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
@@ -115,16 +115,14 @@ func (c *InternalClient) Schema(ctx context.Context) ([]*pilosa.IndexInfo, error
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	var rsp getSchemaResponse
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("http: status=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	} else if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rsp); err != nil {
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rsp); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("json decode: %s", err)
 	}
 	return rsp.Indexes, nil
@@ -152,27 +150,14 @@ func (c *InternalClient) CreateIndex(ctx context.Context, index string, opt pilo
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request against the host.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
-	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
-
-	// Read body.
-	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "reading")
-	}
-
-	// Handle response based on status code.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK:
-		return nil // ok
-	case http.StatusConflict:
-		return pilosa.ErrIndexExists
-	default:
-		return errors.New(string(body))
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusConflict {
+			return pilosa.ErrIndexExists
+		}
+		return err
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // FragmentNodes returns a list of nodes that own a shard.
@@ -191,19 +176,16 @@ func (c *InternalClient) FragmentNodes(ctx context.Context, index string, shard
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	var a []*pilosa.Node
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("http: status=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	} else if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&a); err != nil {
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&a); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("json decode: %s", err)
 	}
-
 	return a, nil
 }
 
@@ -222,19 +204,16 @@ func (c *InternalClient) Nodes(ctx context.Context) ([]*pilosa.Node, error) {
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	var a []*pilosa.Node
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("http: status=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	} else if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&a); err != nil {
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&a); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("json decode: %s", err)
 	}
-
 	return a, nil
 }
 
@@ -269,9 +248,9 @@ func (c *InternalClient) QueryNode(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, index s
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request against the host.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
@@ -452,9 +431,9 @@ func (c *InternalClient) importNode(ctx context.Context, node *pilosa.Node, inde
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request against the host.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
@@ -462,8 +441,6 @@ func (c *InternalClient) importNode(ctx context.Context, node *pilosa.Node, inde
 	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "reading")
-	} else if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return errors.New(string(body))
 	}
 
 	var isresp pilosa.ImportResponse
@@ -608,17 +585,12 @@ func (c *InternalClient) ImportRoaring(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, ind
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request against the host.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	// Validate status code.
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid status: %d", resp.StatusCode)
-	}
-
 	dec := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body)
 	rbody := &pilosa.ImportResponse{}
 	dec.Decode(rbody)
@@ -677,17 +649,12 @@ func (c *InternalClient) exportNodeCSV(ctx context.Context, node *pilosa.Node, i
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request against the host.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	// Validate status code.
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid status: %d", resp.StatusCode)
-	}
-
 	// Copy body to writer.
 	if _, err := io.Copy(w, resp.Body); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "copying")
@@ -720,18 +687,12 @@ func (c *InternalClient) backupShardNode(ctx context.Context, index, field strin
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
-	}
-
-	// Return error if status is not OK.
-	if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
-		resp.Body.Close()
-		return nil, pilosa.ErrFragmentNotFound
-	} else if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		resp.Body.Close()
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected backup status code: host=%s, code=%d", node.URI, resp.StatusCode)
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
+			return nil, pilosa.ErrFragmentNotFound
+		}
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	return resp.Body, nil
@@ -783,27 +744,15 @@ func (c *InternalClient) CreateFieldWithOptions(ctx context.Context, index, fiel
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
 	// Execute request against the host.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
-	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
-
-	// Read body.
-	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "reading")
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusConflict {
+			return pilosa.ErrFieldExists
+		}
+		return err
 	}
 
-	// Handle response based on status code.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK:
-		return nil // ok
-	case http.StatusConflict:
-		return pilosa.ErrFieldExists
-	default:
-		return errors.New(string(body))
-	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // FragmentBlocks returns a list of block checksums for a fragment on a host.
@@ -830,21 +779,16 @@ func (c *InternalClient) FragmentBlocks(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, in
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		// Return the appropriate error.
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
+			return nil, pilosa.ErrFragmentNotFound
+		}
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	// Return error if status is not OK.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK: // ok
-	case http.StatusNotFound:
-		return nil, pilosa.ErrFragmentNotFound
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected status: code=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	}
-
 	// Decode response object.
 	var rsp getFragmentBlocksResponse
 	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rsp); err != nil {
@@ -879,21 +823,15 @@ func (c *InternalClient) BlockData(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, index,
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/protobuf")
 	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
 
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
+			return nil, nil, nil
+		}
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	// Return error if status is not OK.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK: // fallthrough
-	case http.StatusNotFound:
-		return nil, nil, nil
-	default:
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected status: code=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	}
-
 	// Decode response object.
 	var rsp pilosa.BlockDataResponse
 	if body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body); err != nil {
@@ -927,19 +865,12 @@ func (c *InternalClient) ColumnAttrDiff(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, in
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	// Return error if status is not OK.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK: // ok
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected status: code=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	}
-
 	// Decode response object.
 	var rsp postIndexAttrDiffResponse
 	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rsp); err != nil {
@@ -971,21 +902,15 @@ func (c *InternalClient) RowAttrDiff(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, index
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
+			return nil, pilosa.ErrFieldNotFound
+		}
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
-	// Return error if status is not OK.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK: // ok
-	case http.StatusNotFound:
-		return nil, pilosa.ErrFieldNotFound
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected status: code=%d", resp.StatusCode)
-	}
-
 	// Decode response object.
 	var rsp postFieldAttrDiffResponse
 	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rsp); err != nil {
@@ -1006,28 +931,38 @@ func (c *InternalClient) SendMessage(ctx context.Context, uri *pilosa.URI, msg [
 	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
 
 	// Execute request.
-	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	_, err = c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("executing http request: %v", err)
+		return err
 	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
-
-	// Read body.
-	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("reading response body: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// Return error if status is not OK.
-	switch resp.StatusCode {
-	case http.StatusOK: // ok
-	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected response status code: %d: %s", resp.StatusCode, body)
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
+// executeRequest executes the given request and checks the Response
+func (c *InternalClient) executeRequest(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	resp, err := c.httpClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "executing request")
+	}
+	if resp.StatusCode < 200 || resp.StatusCode >= 300 {
+		defer resp.Body.Close()
+		buf, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			return resp, errors.Wrapf(err, "bad status '%s' and err reading body", resp.Status)
+		}
+		var msg string
+		// try to decode a JSON response
+		var sr successResponse
+		if err = json.Unmarshal(buf, &sr); err == nil {
+			msg = sr.Error.Error()
+		} else {
+			msg = string(buf)
+		}
+		return resp, errors.Errorf("Server error %s: '%s'", resp.Status, msg)
+	}
+	return resp, nil
+}
+
 // Bits is a slice of Bit.
 type Bits []pilosa.Bit