diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServlet.java b/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServlet.java
index cf30402..bb4f0ba 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServlet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServlet.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package com.ericsson.gerrit.plugins.evictcache;
 
+import static javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse.SC_BAD_REQUEST;
 import static javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse.SC_NO_CONTENT;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
@@ -63,11 +64,23 @@
       Context.setForwardedEvent();
       evictCache(cache, cacheName, key);
       rsp.setStatus(SC_NO_CONTENT);
+    } catch (IOException e) {
+      logger.error("Failed to process eviction request: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+      sendError(rsp, SC_BAD_REQUEST, e.getMessage());
     } finally {
       Context.unsetForwardedEvent();
     }
   }
 
+  private static void sendError(HttpServletResponse rsp, int statusCode,
+      String message) {
+    try {
+      rsp.sendError(statusCode, message);
+    } catch (IOException e) {
+      logger.error("Failed to send error messsage: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+    }
+  }
+
   private void evictCache(Cache<?, ?> cache, String cacheName, Object key) {
     if (PROJECT_LIST.equals(cacheName)) {
       // One key is holding the list of projects
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServletTest.java b/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServletTest.java
index aea1586..9c85978 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServletTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/ericsson/gerrit/plugins/evictcache/EvictCacheRestApiServletTest.java
@@ -14,12 +14,16 @@
 
 package com.ericsson.gerrit.plugins.evictcache;
 
+import static javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse.SC_BAD_REQUEST;
+import static javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse.SC_NO_CONTENT;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expect;
+import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expectLastCall;
 
 import com.google.common.cache.Cache;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.DynamicMap;
 
 import org.easymock.EasyMockSupport;
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
@@ -41,57 +45,84 @@
 
   @Test
   public void evictAccounts() throws IOException, ServletException {
-    setUp(Constants.ACCOUNTS);
+    configureMocksFor(Constants.ACCOUNTS);
     servlet.doPost(request, response);
     verifyAll();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void evictProjectList() throws IOException, ServletException {
-    setUp(Constants.PROJECT_LIST);
+    configureMocksFor(Constants.PROJECT_LIST);
     servlet.doPost(request, response);
     verifyAll();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void evictGroups() throws IOException, ServletException {
-    setUp(Constants.GROUPS);
+    configureMocksFor(Constants.GROUPS);
     servlet.doPost(request, response);
     verifyAll();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void evictGroupsByInclude() throws IOException, ServletException {
-    setUp(Constants.GROUPS_BYINCLUDE);
+    configureMocksFor(Constants.GROUPS_BYINCLUDE);
     servlet.doPost(request, response);
     verifyAll();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void evictGroupsMembers() throws IOException, ServletException {
-    setUp(Constants.GROUPS_MEMBERS);
+    configureMocksFor(Constants.GROUPS_MEMBERS);
     servlet.doPost(request, response);
     verifyAll();
   }
 
   @Test
   public void evictDefault() throws IOException, ServletException {
-    setUp(Constants.DEFAULT);
+    configureMocksFor(Constants.DEFAULT);
     servlet.doPost(request, response);
     verifyAll();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void badRequest() throws IOException, ServletException {
+    expect(request.getPathInfo()).andReturn("/someCache");
+    String errorMessage = "someError";
+    expect(request.getReader()).andThrow(new IOException(errorMessage));
+    response.sendError(SC_BAD_REQUEST, errorMessage);
+    expectLastCall().once();
+    replayAll();
+    servlet.doPost(request, response);
+    verifyAll();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void errorWhileSendingErrorMessage() throws Exception {
+    expect(request.getPathInfo()).andReturn("/someCache");
+    String errorMessage = "someError";
+    expect(request.getReader()).andThrow(new IOException(errorMessage));
+    response.sendError(SC_BAD_REQUEST, errorMessage);
+    expectLastCall().andThrow(new IOException("someOtherError"));
+    replayAll();
+    servlet.doPost(request, response);
+    verifyAll();
+  }
+
+  @Before
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-  private void setUp(String cacheName) throws IOException {
-    resetAll();
+  public void setUp() {
     cacheMap = createMock(DynamicMap.class);
     request = createMock(HttpServletRequest.class);
     reader = createMock(BufferedReader.class);
     response = createNiceMock(HttpServletResponse.class);
     cache = createNiceMock(Cache.class);
-
-    expect(cacheMap.get(PLUGIN_NAME, cacheName)).andReturn(cache);
     servlet = new EvictCacheRestApiServlet(cacheMap);
+  }
+
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+  private void configureMocksFor(String cacheName) throws IOException {
+    expect(cacheMap.get(PLUGIN_NAME, cacheName)).andReturn(cache);
     expect(request.getPathInfo()).andReturn("/" + cacheName);
     expect(request.getReader()).andReturn(reader);
 
@@ -103,6 +134,8 @@
     } else {
       expect(reader.readLine()).andReturn("{}");
     }
+    response.setStatus(SC_NO_CONTENT);
+    expectLastCall().once();
     replayAll();
   }
 }