diff --git a/lang/en/repository.php b/lang/en/repository.php
index b430e569a617..fadce50db53b 100644
--- a/lang/en/repository.php
+++ b/lang/en/repository.php
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
 $string['errornotyourfile'] = 'You cannot pick file which is not added by your';
 $string['erroruniquename'] = 'Repository instance name should be unique';
 $string['errorpostmaxsize'] = 'The uploaded file may exceed max_post_size directive in php.ini.';
+$string['errorwhilecommunicatingwith'] = 'Error while communicating with the repository \'{$a}\'.';
 $string['errorwhiledownload'] = 'An error occured while downloading the file: {$a}';
 $string['existingrepository'] = 'This repository already exists';
 $string['federatedsearch'] = 'Federated search';
diff --git a/repository/s3/lib.php b/repository/s3/lib.php
index 54caa3bbc6c6..596fc09cbe3c 100644
--- a/repository/s3/lib.php
+++ b/repository/s3/lib.php
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ public function __construct($repositoryid, $context = SYSCONTEXTID, $options = a
         $this->access_key = get_config('s3', 'access_key');
         $this->secret_key = get_config('s3', 'secret_key');
         $this->s = new S3($this->access_key, $this->secret_key);
+        $this->s->setExceptions(true);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ protected function explode_path($path) {
     public function get_listing($path = '', $page = '') {
         global $CFG, $OUTPUT;
         if (empty($this->access_key)) {
-            die(json_encode(array('e'=>get_string('needaccesskey', 'repository_s3'))));
+            throw new moodle_exception('needaccesskey', 'repository_s3');
         }
 
         $list = array();
@@ -97,7 +98,11 @@ public function get_listing($path = '', $page = '') {
         $tree = array();
 
         if (empty($path)) {
-            $buckets = $this->s->listBuckets();
+            try {
+                $buckets = $this->s->listBuckets();
+            } catch (S3Exception $e) {
+                throw new moodle_exception('errorwhilecommunicatingwith', 'repository', '', $this->get_name());
+            }
             foreach ($buckets as $bucket) {
                 $folder = array(
                     'title' => $bucket,
@@ -112,7 +117,11 @@ public function get_listing($path = '', $page = '') {
             $folders = array();
             list($bucket, $uri) = $this->explode_path($path);
 
-            $contents = $this->s->getBucket($bucket, $uri, null, null, '/', true);
+            try {
+                $contents = $this->s->getBucket($bucket, $uri, null, null, '/', true);
+            } catch (S3Exception $e) {
+                throw new moodle_exception('errorwhilecommunicatingwith', 'repository', '', $this->get_name());
+            }
             foreach ($contents as $object) {
 
                 // If object has a prefix, it is a 'CommonPrefix', which we consider a folder
@@ -183,7 +192,11 @@ public function get_listing($path = '', $page = '') {
     public function get_file($filepath, $file = '') {
         list($bucket, $uri) = $this->explode_path($filepath);
         $path = $this->prepare_file($file);
-        $this->s->getObject($bucket, $uri, $path);
+        try {
+            $this->s->getObject($bucket, $uri, $path);
+        } catch (S3Exception $e) {
+            throw new moodle_exception('errorwhilecommunicatingwith', 'repository', '', $this->get_name());
+        }
         return array('path' => $path);
     }