diff --git a/plugins/periskop/package.json b/plugins/periskop/package.json
index 661efc23c3..5c925cde08 100644
--- a/plugins/periskop/package.json
+++ b/plugins/periskop/package.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     "@backstage/catalog-model": "^0.11.0",
     "@backstage/core-components": "^0.8.10",
     "@backstage/core-plugin-api": "^0.7.0",
+    "@backstage/errors": "^0.2.2",
     "@backstage/plugin-catalog-react": "^0.7.0",
     "@backstage/theme": "^0.2.15",
     "@material-ui/core": "^4.12.2",
diff --git a/plugins/periskop/src/api/index.ts b/plugins/periskop/src/api/index.ts
index 0afbe9abd9..4171d55ae2 100644
--- a/plugins/periskop/src/api/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/periskop/src/api/index.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import { ConfigApi, DiscoveryApi } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
+import { ResponseError } from '@backstage/errors';
 import { AggregatedError, NotFoundInInstance } from '../types';
 
 /** @public */
@@ -111,9 +112,7 @@ export class PeriskopClient implements PeriskopApi {
           body: await response.text(),
         };
       }
-      throw new Error(
-        `failed to fetch data, status ${response.status}: ${response.statusText}`,
-      );
+      throw await ResponseError.fromResponse(response);
     }
     return response.json();
   }