diff --git a/plugins/airbrake/src/api/production-api.test.ts b/plugins/airbrake/src/api/production-api.test.ts
index 89b7908f9a..3753cab592 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake/src/api/production-api.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/airbrake/src/api/production-api.test.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ describe('The production Airbrake API', () => {
   it('throws if fetching groups was unsuccessful', async () => {
     const scope = nock('https://api.airbrake.io')
       .get('/api/v4/projects/123456/groups?key=fakeApiKey')
-      .reply(500, mockGroupsData);
+      .reply(500);
     expect(scope.isDone()).toBe(false);
 
     await expect(productionApi.fetchGroups('123456')).rejects.toThrow();
diff --git a/plugins/airbrake/src/components/EntityAirbrakeWidget/EntityAirbrakeWidget.test.tsx b/plugins/airbrake/src/components/EntityAirbrakeWidget/EntityAirbrakeWidget.test.tsx
index 5baabe92f6..5d3787b875 100644
--- a/plugins/airbrake/src/components/EntityAirbrakeWidget/EntityAirbrakeWidget.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/airbrake/src/components/EntityAirbrakeWidget/EntityAirbrakeWidget.test.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@ import { EntityAirbrakeWidget } from './EntityAirbrakeWidget';
 import exampleData from '../../api/mock/airbrake-groups-api-mock.json';
 import { renderInTestApp, TestApiProvider } from '@backstage/test-utils';
 import { createEntity } from '../../api/mock/mock-entity';
-import { airbrakeApiRef, MockAirbrakeApi } from '../../api';
+import {
+  airbrakeApiRef,
+  MockAirbrakeApi,
+  ProductionAirbrakeApi,
+} from '../../api';
+import nock from 'nock';
 
 describe('EntityAirbrakeContent', () => {
   it('renders all errors sent from Airbrake', async () => {
@@ -36,15 +41,34 @@ describe('EntityAirbrakeContent', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it('states that the annotation is missing if no annotation is provided', async () => {
+  it('states that the annotation is missing if no project ID annotation is provided', async () => {
     const table = await renderInTestApp(
       <TestApiProvider apis={[[airbrakeApiRef, new MockAirbrakeApi()]]}>
         <EntityAirbrakeWidget entity={createEntity()} />
       </TestApiProvider>,
     );
-    expect(exampleData.groups.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
     await expect(
       table.findByText('Missing Annotation'),
     ).resolves.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it('states that an error occurred if API call fails', async () => {
+    const scope = nock('https://api.airbrake.io')
+      .get('/api/v4/projects/123/groups?key=fakeApiKey')
+      .reply(500);
+    expect(scope.isDone()).toBe(false);
+
+    const table = await renderInTestApp(
+      <TestApiProvider
+        apis={[[airbrakeApiRef, new ProductionAirbrakeApi('fakeApiKey')]]}
+      >
+        <EntityAirbrakeWidget entity={createEntity(123)} />
+      </TestApiProvider>,
+    );
+
+    await expect(
+      table.findByText('*there was an issue communicating with Airbrake*'),
+    ).resolves.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(scope.isDone()).toBe(true);
+  });
 });