diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiMetrics.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiMetrics.java
index a378fa4..aa1b921 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiMetrics.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiMetrics.java
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.PluginName;
 import com.google.gerrit.httpd.restapi.RestApiServlet.ViewData;
 import com.google.gerrit.metrics.Counter1;
-import com.google.gerrit.metrics.Counter2;
+import com.google.gerrit.metrics.Counter3;
 import com.google.gerrit.metrics.Description;
 import com.google.gerrit.metrics.Description.Units;
 import com.google.gerrit.metrics.Field;
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
   };
 
   final Counter1<String> count;
-  final Counter2<String, Integer> errorCount;
+  final Counter3<String, Integer, String> errorCount;
   final Timer1<String> serverLatency;
   final Histogram1<String> responseBytes;
 
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@
             viewField,
             Field.ofInteger("error_code", Metadata.Builder::httpStatus)
                 .description("HTTP status code")
+                .build(),
+            Field.ofString("cause", Metadata.Builder::cause)
+                .description("The cause of the error.")
                 .build());
 
     serverLatency =
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiServlet.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiServlet.java
index 1514df8..87b4aa2 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiServlet.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/restapi/RestApiServlet.java
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@
     res.setHeader("X-Content-Type-Options", "nosniff");
     int status = SC_OK;
     long responseBytes = -1;
+    Optional<Exception> cause = Optional.empty();
     Response<?> response = null;
     QueryParams qp = null;
     Object inputRequestBody = null;
@@ -593,22 +594,28 @@
           }
         }
       } catch (MalformedJsonException | JsonParseException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(
                 req, res, status = SC_BAD_REQUEST, "Invalid " + JSON_TYPE + " in request", e);
       } catch (BadRequestException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(
                 req, res, status = SC_BAD_REQUEST, messageOr(e, "Bad Request"), e.caching(), e);
       } catch (AuthException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(req, res, status = SC_FORBIDDEN, messageOr(e, "Forbidden"), e.caching(), e);
       } catch (AmbiguousViewException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes = replyError(req, res, status = SC_NOT_FOUND, messageOr(e, "Ambiguous"), e);
       } catch (ResourceNotFoundException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(req, res, status = SC_NOT_FOUND, messageOr(e, "Not Found"), e.caching(), e);
       } catch (MethodNotAllowedException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(
                 req,
@@ -618,9 +625,11 @@
                 e.caching(),
                 e);
       } catch (ResourceConflictException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(req, res, status = SC_CONFLICT, messageOr(e, "Conflict"), e.caching(), e);
       } catch (PreconditionFailedException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(
                 req,
@@ -630,6 +639,7 @@
                 e.caching(),
                 e);
       } catch (UnprocessableEntityException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(
                 req,
@@ -639,10 +649,12 @@
                 e.caching(),
                 e);
       } catch (NotImplementedException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         logger.atSevere().withCause(e).log("Error in %s %s", req.getMethod(), uriForLogging(req));
         responseBytes =
             replyError(req, res, status = SC_NOT_IMPLEMENTED, messageOr(e, "Not Implemented"), e);
       } catch (UpdateException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         Throwable t = e.getCause();
         if (t instanceof LockFailureException) {
           logger.atSevere().withCause(t).log("Error in %s %s", req.getMethod(), uriForLogging(req));
@@ -652,6 +664,7 @@
           responseBytes = handleException(e, req, res);
         }
       } catch (QuotaException e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         responseBytes =
             replyError(
                 req,
@@ -661,13 +674,15 @@
                 e.caching(),
                 e);
       } catch (Exception e) {
+        cause = Optional.of(e);
         status = SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
         responseBytes = handleException(e, req, res);
       } finally {
         String metric = getViewName(viewData);
+        String formattedCause = cause.map(globals.retryHelper::formatCause).orElse("_none");
         globals.metrics.count.increment(metric);
         if (status >= SC_BAD_REQUEST) {
-          globals.metrics.errorCount.increment(metric, status);
+          globals.metrics.errorCount.increment(metric, status, formattedCause);
         }
         if (responseBytes != -1) {
           globals.metrics.responseBytes.record(metric, responseBytes);
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/DeleteMembers.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/DeleteMembers.java
index 9bae2e2..fa1c5c6 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/DeleteMembers.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/DeleteMembers.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package com.google.gerrit.server.restapi.group;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.GroupDescription;
 import com.google.gerrit.entities.Account;
@@ -68,6 +69,9 @@
 
     Set<Account.Id> membersToRemove = new HashSet<>();
     for (String nameOrEmail : input.members) {
+      if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(nameOrEmail)) {
+        continue;
+      }
       membersToRemove.add(accountResolver.resolve(nameOrEmail).asUnique().account().id());
     }
     AccountGroup.UUID groupUuid = internalGroup.getGroupUUID();
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java
index 6f8ef12..3dfa088 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-  private String formatCause(Throwable t) {
+  public String formatCause(Throwable t) {
     while ((t instanceof UpdateException
             || t instanceof StorageException
             || t instanceof ExecutionException)
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java
index e543976..988580e 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java
@@ -187,6 +187,24 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void removeMember_nullInMemberInputDoesNotCauseFailure() throws Exception {
+    AccountGroup.UUID group =
+        groupOperations.newGroup().addMember(admin.id()).addMember(user.id()).create();
+    gApi.groups().id(group.get()).removeMembers(user.id().toString(), null);
+    ImmutableSet<Account.Id> members = groupOperations.group(group).get().members();
+    assertThat(members).containsExactly(admin.id());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void removeMember_emptyStringInMemberInputDoesNotCauseFailure() throws Exception {
+    AccountGroup.UUID group =
+        groupOperations.newGroup().addMember(admin.id()).addMember(user.id()).create();
+    gApi.groups().id(group.get()).removeMembers(user.id().toString(), "");
+    ImmutableSet<Account.Id> members = groupOperations.group(group).get().members();
+    assertThat(members).containsExactly(admin.id());
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void cachedGroupsForMemberAreUpdatedOnMemberAdditionAndRemoval() throws Exception {
     String username = name("user");
     Account.Id accountId = accountOperations.newAccount().username(username).create();