diff --git a/bot.py b/bot.py
index 512152a..cc0a411 100644
--- a/bot.py
+++ b/bot.py
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ class TwitchBot(irc.bot.SingleServerIRCBot):
         user_id = config['Twitch'].getint('target_user_id')
         since = dateutil.parser.parse(since).date()
         messages = Twitch(api_url, client_id, log).get_messages(user_id, since)
+        if not messages:
+            return
         for message in messages:
             for pattern, action in self.patterns:
                 m = pattern.match(message)
diff --git a/twitch.py b/twitch.py
index 03e5f04..06c705d 100644
--- a/twitch.py
+++ b/twitch.py
@@ -47,11 +47,17 @@ class Twitch(object):
         return result
 
     def get_messages(self, user_id, since):
-        videos = self._get_videos(user_id)
-        result = []
-        for video in [v for v in videos if v['date'] >= since]:
+        try:
+            videos = self._get_videos(user_id)
+            result = []
+            for video in [v for v in videos if v['date'] >= since]:
+                if self.log:
+                    self.log.info('Processing VOD %d (%s)', video['id'], video['title'])
+                comments = self._get_comments(video['id'])
+                result.extend(comments)
+        except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
             if self.log:
-                self.log.info('Processing VOD %d (%s)', video['id'], video['title'])
-            comments = self._get_comments(video['id'])
-            result.extend(comments)
-        return result
+                self.log.error('Failed to retrieve VOD messages: %s', str(e))
+            return None
+        else:
+            return result