diff --git a/.changeset/search-breezy-oranges-collect.md b/.changeset/search-breezy-oranges-collect.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9d4e8c076
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/search-breezy-oranges-collect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search': patch
+---
+
+Handle request errors properly and display them in the results list.
diff --git a/plugins/search/package.json b/plugins/search/package.json
index c40885e357..29541f1ed2 100644
--- a/plugins/search/package.json
+++ b/plugins/search/package.json
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     "@backstage/config": "^0.1.5",
     "@backstage/core-components": "^0.1.5",
     "@backstage/core-plugin-api": "^0.1.3",
+    "@backstage/errors": "^0.1.1",
     "@backstage/plugin-catalog-react": "^0.2.6",
     "@backstage/search-common": "^0.1.2",
     "@backstage/theme": "^0.2.8",
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts b/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts
index 43b77e4927..cc59ca1a77 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe('apis', () => {
 
   const json = jest.fn();
   const originalFetch = window.fetch;
-  window.fetch = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ json });
+  window.fetch = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ json, ok: true });
 
   afterAll(() => {
     window.fetch = originalFetch;
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/apis.ts b/plugins/search/src/apis.ts
index da8332bd44..fa6d9ce908 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/apis.ts
+++ b/plugins/search/src/apis.ts
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { SearchQuery, SearchResultSet } from '@backstage/search-common';
-import qs from 'qs';
 import {
   createApiRef,
   DiscoveryApi,
   IdentityApi,
 } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import { ResponseError } from '@backstage/errors';
+import { SearchQuery, SearchResultSet } from '@backstage/search-common';
+import qs from 'qs';
 
 export const searchApiRef = createApiRef<SearchApi>({
   id: 'plugin.search.queryservice',
@@ -52,6 +53,11 @@ export class SearchClient implements SearchApi {
     const response = await fetch(url, {
       headers: token ? { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` } : {},
     });
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      throw await ResponseError.fromResponse(response);
+    }
+
     return response.json();
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.test.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.test.tsx
index 9508eec259..bb8f393d67 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.test.tsx
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import { renderInTestApp } from '@backstage/test-utils';
+import { waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import React from 'react';
-import { render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
-
-import { SearchResult } from './SearchResult';
 import { useSearch } from '../SearchContext';
+import { SearchResult } from './SearchResult';
 
 jest.mock('../SearchContext', () => ({
   ...jest.requireActual('../SearchContext'),
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ describe('SearchResult', () => {
       result: { loading: true },
     });
 
-    const { getByRole } = render(<SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>);
+    const { getByRole } = await renderInTestApp(
+      <SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>,
+    );
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(getByRole('progressbar')).toBeInTheDocument();
@@ -41,16 +43,18 @@ describe('SearchResult', () => {
   });
 
   it('Alert rendered on Error state', async () => {
-    const error = 'error';
+    const error = new Error('some error');
     (useSearch as jest.Mock).mockReturnValueOnce({
       result: { loading: false, error },
     });
 
-    const { getByRole } = render(<SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>);
+    const { getByRole } = await renderInTestApp(
+      <SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>,
+    );
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(getByRole('alert')).toHaveTextContent(
-        `Error encountered while fetching search results. ${error}`,
+        new RegExp(`Error encountered while fetching search results.*${error}`),
       );
     });
   });
@@ -60,7 +64,9 @@ describe('SearchResult', () => {
       result: { loading: false, error: '', value: undefined },
     });
 
-    const { getByRole } = render(<SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>);
+    const { getByRole } = await renderInTestApp(
+      <SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>,
+    );
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(
@@ -74,7 +80,9 @@ describe('SearchResult', () => {
       result: { loading: false, error: '', value: { results: [] } },
     });
 
-    const { getByRole } = render(<SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>);
+    const { getByRole } = await renderInTestApp(
+      <SearchResult>{() => <></>}</SearchResult>,
+    );
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(
@@ -83,12 +91,12 @@ describe('SearchResult', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it('Calls children with results set to result.value', () => {
+  it('Calls children with results set to result.value', async () => {
     (useSearch as jest.Mock).mockReturnValueOnce({
       result: { loading: false, error: '', value: { results: [] } },
     });
 
-    render(
+    await renderInTestApp(
       <SearchResult>
         {({ results }) => {
           expect(results).toEqual([]);
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.tsx
index 7ca5964d21..26a2484a86 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchResult/SearchResult.tsx
@@ -14,13 +14,15 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import React from 'react';
+import {
+  EmptyState,
+  Progress,
+  ResponseErrorPanel,
+} from '@backstage/core-components';
 import { SearchResult } from '@backstage/search-common';
-import { Alert } from '@material-ui/lab';
+import React from 'react';
 import { useSearch } from '../SearchContext';
 
-import { EmptyState, Progress } from '@backstage/core-components';
-
 type Props = {
   children: (results: { results: SearchResult[] }) => JSX.Element;
 };
@@ -35,9 +37,10 @@ const SearchResultComponent = ({ children }: Props) => {
   }
   if (error) {
     return (
-      <Alert severity="error">
-        Error encountered while fetching search results. {error.toString()}
-      </Alert>
+      <ResponseErrorPanel
+        title="Error encountered while fetching search results"
+        error={error}
+      />
     );
   }