diff --git a/lib/http/client.js b/lib/http/client.js
index aa2695e3..cb7229bc 100644
--- a/lib/http/client.js
+++ b/lib/http/client.js
@@ -220,26 +220,31 @@ HTTPClient.prototype._request = co(function* _request(method, endpoint, json) {
     auth: {
       username: 'bitcoinrpc',
       password: this.apiKey || ''
-    },
-    expect: 'json'
+    }
   });
 
-  network = res.headers['x-bcoin-network'];
-
-  if (network && network !== this.network.type)
-    throw new Error('Wrong network.');
-
   if (res.statusCode === 404)
     return;
 
-  if (!res.body)
-    throw new Error('No body.');
+  if (res.statusCode === 401)
+    throw new Error('Unauthorized (bad API key).');
 
-  if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
-    if (res.body.error)
-      throw new Error(res.body.error.message);
+  if (res.statusCode !== 200)
     throw new Error('Status code: ' + res.statusCode);
-  }
+
+  if (res.type !== 'json')
+    throw new Error('Bad response (wrong content-type).');
+
+  if (!res.body)
+    throw new Error('Bad response (no body).');
+
+  network = res.headers['x-bcoin-network'];
+
+  if (network && network !== this.network.type)
+    throw new Error('Bad response (wrong network).');
+
+  if (res.body.error)
+    throw new Error(res.body.error.message);
 
   return res.body;
 });
diff --git a/lib/http/rpcclient.js b/lib/http/rpcclient.js
index fc15b93b..f687c933 100644
--- a/lib/http/rpcclient.js
+++ b/lib/http/rpcclient.js
@@ -58,19 +58,24 @@ RPCClient.prototype.execute = co(function* execute(method, params) {
     auth: {
       username: 'bitcoinrpc',
       password: this.apiKey || ''
-    },
-    expect: 'json'
+    }
   });
 
+  if (res.statusCode === 401)
+    throw new RPCError('Unauthorized (bad API key).', -1);
+
+  if (res.statusCode !== 200)
+    throw new Error('Status code: ' + res.statusCode);
+
+  if (res.type !== 'json')
+    throw new Error('Bad response (wrong content-type).');
+
   if (!res.body)
     throw new Error('No body for JSON-RPC response.');
 
   if (res.body.error)
     throw new RPCError(res.body.error.message, res.body.error.code);
 
-  if (res.statusCode !== 200)
-    throw new Error('Status code: ' + res.statusCode);
-
   return res.body.result;
 });