diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc.js b/lib/jsonrpc.js
index 0a8e9ac..4ecc627 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc.js
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc.js
@@ -59,10 +59,25 @@ var Client = function(port, host, user, password) {
       // depending on whether it's got a result or an error, we call
       // emitSuccess or emitError on the promise.
       response.on('end', function() {
-        var decoded = JSON.parse(buffer);
+        try {
+          var decoded = JSON.parse(buffer);
+        } catch (e) {
+          if (response.statusCode !== 200) {
+            errback({
+              code: -32602, 
+              message: 'Invalid params, response status code: ' + response.statusCode
+            });
+          } else {
+            errback({
+              code: -32603,
+              message: 'Problem parsing JSON response from server'
+            });
+          }
+          return;
+        }
         if(decoded.hasOwnProperty('error') && decoded.error != null) {
           if (errback)
-            errback(decoded.error)
+            errback(decoded.error);
         } else if(decoded.hasOwnProperty('result')) {
           if (callback)
             callback(decoded.result);
@@ -159,8 +174,6 @@ Server.prototype.handlePOST = function(req, res) {
   var handle = function (buf) {
     var decoded = JSON.parse(buf);
 
-    console.log(decoded);
-
     // Check for the required fields, and if they aren't there, then
     // dispatch to the handleInvalidRequest function.
     if(!(decoded.method && decoded.params)) {
diff --git a/test/api.js b/test/api.js
index 8b84d0f..3051120 100644
--- a/test/api.js
+++ b/test/api.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 // test variables
 
 var test = {
-    account: "test"
+    account: 'test'
 };
 
 var config = require('./config');
@@ -139,18 +139,40 @@ vows.describe('api').addBatch({
         }
       }
     },
-    "creating a bitcoin related error": {
+    'creating a bitcoin related error': {
       topic: function(client) {
         client.cmd('nomethod', this.callback);
       },
-      "should create non-null err in callback": function(err, expectedValue) {
+      'should create non-null err in callback': function(err, expectedValue) {
         assert.deepEqual(err, {
           code: -32601,
           message: 'Method not found'
         });
         assert.equal(expectedValue, undefined);
-      }
-    }
-  }
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  'invalid credentials': {
+    topic: function() {
+      return new bitcoin.Client(config.host, config.port, 'baduser', 'badpwd');
+    },
+    'should still return client object': function(client) {
+      assert.equal(typeof client, 'object');
+      assert.equal(client.host, config.host);
+      assert.equal(client.port, config.port);
+      assert.equal(client.user, 'baduser');
+      assert.equal(client.pass, 'badpwd');
+    },
+    'will return status 401 with html': {
+      topic: function(client) {
+        client.getDifficulty(this.callback);
+      },
+      'and should be able to handle it': function(err, difficulty) {
+        assert.isNotNull(err);
+        assert.isObject(err);
+        assert.equal(difficulty, undefined);
+      },
+    },
+  },
   
 }).export(module);