diff --git a/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py b/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py
index 704ce159..11b38d40 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ from fnmatch import fnmatchcase
 from glob import glob
 import os
 import yum
+from yum.Errors import YumBaseError
+
 # This is a hack to short circuit yum's internal logging
 yum.logginglevels._added_handlers = True
 
@@ -118,6 +120,10 @@ def update_metadata(yb):
     for r in yb.repos.sort():
         r.metadata_expire = 0
         r.mdpolicy = "group:all"
-    yb.doRepoSetup()
-    yb.repos.doSetup()
-    yb.repos.populateSack(mdtype='all', cacheonly=0)
+    try:
+        yb.doRepoSetup()
+        yb.repos.doSetup()
+        yb.repos.populateSack(mdtype='all', cacheonly=0)
+    except YumBaseError as e:
+        log.error("Failed to update metadata: %s", str(e))
+        raise RuntimeError("Fetching metadata failed: %s" % str(e))
diff --git a/src/sbin/lorax-composer b/src/sbin/lorax-composer
index 234b161a..b5de76a5 100755
--- a/src/sbin/lorax-composer
+++ b/src/sbin/lorax-composer
@@ -278,7 +278,11 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     make_yum_dirs(server.config["COMPOSER_CFG"])
 
     # Get a YumBase to share with the requests
-    yb = get_base_object(server.config["COMPOSER_CFG"])
+    try:
+        yb = get_base_object(server.config["COMPOSER_CFG"])
+    except RuntimeError:
+        # Error has already been logged. Just exit cleanly.
+        sys.exit(1)
     server.config["YUMLOCK"] = YumLock(yb=yb, lock=Lock())
 
     # Depsolve the templates and make a note of the failures for /api/status to report