diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 6e63af5..f86c4c7 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@
         return resp.body
       }
     })
+    .catch(err => {
+      // map any network/nodejs internal exception to the error structure expected by handleErrors()
+      err.error = err.error || {
+        error: err.message
+      }
+      err.options = err.options || opts
+      throw err
+    })
 }
 
 class Client {
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index b319cbd..d581955 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -644,6 +644,12 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-3duEwti880xqi4eAMN8AyR4a0ByT90zoYdLlevfrvU43vb0YZwZVfxOgxWrLXXXpyugL0hNZc9G6BiB5B3nUug==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "assertion-error": {
+      "version": "1.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/assertion-error/-/assertion-error-1.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-jgsaNduz+ndvGyFt3uSuWqvy4lCnIJiovtouQN5JZHOKCS2QuhEdbcQHFhVksz2N2U9hXJo8odG7ETyWlEeuDw==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "assign-symbols": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/assign-symbols/-/assign-symbols-1.0.0.tgz",
@@ -1392,6 +1398,20 @@
         "quick-lru": "^1.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "chai": {
+      "version": "4.2.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chai/-/chai-4.2.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-XQU3bhBukrOsQCuwZndwGcCVQHyZi53fQ6Ys1Fym7E4olpIqqZZhhoFJoaKVvV17lWQoXYwgWN2nF5crA8J2jw==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "assertion-error": "^1.1.0",
+        "check-error": "^1.0.2",
+        "deep-eql": "^3.0.1",
+        "get-func-name": "^2.0.0",
+        "pathval": "^1.1.0",
+        "type-detect": "^4.0.5"
+      }
+    },
     "chalk": {
       "version": "2.4.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chalk/-/chalk-2.4.2.tgz",
@@ -1409,6 +1429,12 @@
       "integrity": "sha1-tUc7M9yXxCTl2Y3IfVXU2KKci/I=",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "check-error": {
+      "version": "1.0.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/check-error/-/check-error-1.0.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-V00xLt2Iu13YkS6Sht1sCu1KrII=",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "chokidar": {
       "version": "3.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chokidar/-/chokidar-3.0.1.tgz",
@@ -1956,6 +1982,15 @@
         "mimic-response": "^1.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "deep-eql": {
+      "version": "3.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/deep-eql/-/deep-eql-3.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-+QeIQyN5ZuO+3Uk5DYh6/1eKO0m0YmJFGNmFHGACpf1ClL1nmlV/p4gNgbl2pJGxgXb4faqo6UE+M5ACEMyVcw==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "type-detect": "^4.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "deep-equal": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/deep-equal/-/deep-equal-1.0.1.tgz",
@@ -3090,6 +3125,12 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-DyFP3BM/3YHTQOCUL/w0OZHR0lpKeGrxotcHWcqNEdnltqFwXVfhEBQ94eIo34AfQpo0rGki4cyIiftY06h2Fg==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "get-func-name": {
+      "version": "2.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/get-func-name/-/get-func-name-2.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-6td0q+5y4gQJQzoGY2YCPdaIekE=",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "get-port": {
       "version": "5.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/get-port/-/get-port-5.0.0.tgz",
@@ -4089,6 +4130,12 @@
       "integrity": "sha1-nbe1lJatPzz+8wp1FC0tkwrXJlE=",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "json-stringify-safe": {
+      "version": "5.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/json-stringify-safe/-/json-stringify-safe-5.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-Epai1Y/UXxmg9s4B1lcB4sc1tus=",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "json5": {
       "version": "2.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/json5/-/json5-2.1.0.tgz",
@@ -4690,6 +4737,43 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-1nh45deeb5olNY7eX82BkPO7SSxR5SSYJiPTrTdFUVYwAl8CKMA5N9PjTYkHiRjisVcxcQ1HXdLhx2qxxJzLNQ==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "nock": {
+      "version": "11.7.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/nock/-/nock-11.7.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-7c1jhHew74C33OBeRYyQENT+YXQiejpwIrEjinh6dRurBae+Ei4QjeUaPlkptIF0ZacEiVCnw8dWaxqepkiihg==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "chai": "^4.1.2",
+        "debug": "^4.1.0",
+        "json-stringify-safe": "^5.0.1",
+        "lodash": "^4.17.13",
+        "mkdirp": "^0.5.0",
+        "propagate": "^2.0.0"
+      },
+      "dependencies": {
+        "debug": {
+          "version": "4.1.1",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/debug/-/debug-4.1.1.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-pYAIzeRo8J6KPEaJ0VWOh5Pzkbw/RetuzehGM7QRRX5he4fPHx2rdKMB256ehJCkX+XRQm16eZLqLNS8RSZXZw==",
+          "dev": true,
+          "requires": {
+            "ms": "^2.1.1"
+          }
+        },
+        "lodash": {
+          "version": "4.17.15",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.15.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-8xOcRHvCjnocdS5cpwXQXVzmmh5e5+saE2QGoeQmbKmRS6J3VQppPOIt0MnmE+4xlZoumy0GPG0D0MVIQbNA1A==",
+          "dev": true
+        },
+        "ms": {
+          "version": "2.1.2",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ms/-/ms-2.1.2.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-sGkPx+VjMtmA6MX27oA4FBFELFCZZ4S4XqeGOXCv68tT+jb3vk/RyaKWP0PTKyWtmLSM0b+adUTEvbs1PEaH2w==",
+          "dev": true
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "node-fetch": {
       "version": "2.6.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-fetch/-/node-fetch-2.6.0.tgz",
@@ -5245,6 +5329,12 @@
         "pify": "^2.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "pathval": {
+      "version": "1.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pathval/-/pathval-1.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-uULm1L3mUwBe9rcTYd74cn0GReA=",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "picomatch": {
       "version": "2.0.7",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/picomatch/-/picomatch-2.0.7.tgz",
@@ -5419,6 +5509,12 @@
         "react-is": "^16.8.1"
       }
     },
+    "propagate": {
+      "version": "2.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/propagate/-/propagate-2.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-vGrhOavPSTz4QVNuBNdcNXePNdNMaO1xj9yBeH1ScQPjk/rhg9sSlCXPhMkFuaNNW/syTvYqsnbIJxMBfRbbag==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "pseudomap": {
       "version": "1.0.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pseudomap/-/pseudomap-1.0.2.tgz",
@@ -6552,6 +6648,12 @@
         "prelude-ls": "~1.1.2"
       }
     },
+    "type-detect": {
+      "version": "4.0.8",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/type-detect/-/type-detect-4.0.8.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-0fr/mIH1dlO+x7TlcMy+bIDqKPsw/70tVyeHW787goQjhmqaZe10uwLujubK9q9Lg6Fiho1KUKDYz0Z7k7g5/g==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "type-fest": {
       "version": "0.5.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/type-fest/-/type-fest-0.5.2.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d86f99e..3de08e7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
     "ava": "^2.1.0",
     "codecov": "^3.5.0",
     "jszip": "^3.1.3",
+    "nock": "^11.7.0",
     "nyc": "^14.1.1",
     "pre-commit": "^1.2.2",
     "standard": "^12.0.1"
diff --git a/test/unit/client.test.js b/test/unit/client.test.js
index 200f33c..3e51eb3 100644
--- a/test/unit/client.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/client.test.js
@@ -20,6 +20,19 @@
 const test = require('ava')
 const Client = require('../../lib/client')
 const http = require('http')
+const nock = require('nock')
+
+// Note: this has to come before any of the proxy tests, as they interfere
+test('should handle http request errors', async t => {
+  const client = new Client({ api_key: 'secret', apihost: 'test_host', proxy: '' })
+  const METHOD = 'GET'
+  const PATH = '/some/path'
+
+  nock('https://test_host').get(PATH).replyWithError('simulated error')
+  const error = await t.throwsAsync(client.request(METHOD, PATH, {}))
+  t.truthy(error.message)
+  t.assert(error.message.includes('simulated error'))
+})
 
 test('should use default constructor options', t => {
   const client = new Client({ api_key: 'aaa', apihost: 'my_host' })