diff --git a/src/viam/app/app_client.py b/src/viam/app/app_client.py
index e4f46219d..f8da63857 100644
--- a/src/viam/app/app_client.py
+++ b/src/viam/app/app_client.py
@@ -1170,7 +1170,8 @@ async def upload_module_file(self, module_file_info: Optional[ModuleFileInfo], f
             await stream.send_message(request_module_file_info)
             await stream.send_message(request_file, end=True)
             response = await stream.recv_message()
-            assert response is not None
+            if not response:
+                await stream.recv_trailing_metadata()  # causes us to throw appropriate gRPC error.
             return response.url
 
     async def get_module(self, module_id: str) -> Module:
diff --git a/src/viam/app/data_client.py b/src/viam/app/data_client.py
index 63357c2b8..62679750f 100644
--- a/src/viam/app/data_client.py
+++ b/src/viam/app/data_client.py
@@ -676,7 +676,8 @@ async def _file_upload(self, metadata: UploadMetadata, file_contents: FileData)
             await stream.send_message(request_metadata)
             await stream.send_message(request_file_contents, end=True)
             response = await stream.recv_message()
-            assert response is not None
+            if not response:
+                await stream.recv_trailing_metadata()  # causes us to throw appropriate gRPC error.
             return response
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/src/viam/components/audio_input/client.py b/src/viam/components/audio_input/client.py
index 891c88e4d..3c600092b 100644
--- a/src/viam/components/audio_input/client.py
+++ b/src/viam/components/audio_input/client.py
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ async def read() -> AsyncIterator[Audio]:
                     ChunksRequest(name=self.name, sample_format=SampleFormat.SAMPLE_FORMAT_FLOAT32_INTERLEAVED), end=True
                 )
                 response: Union[ChunksResponse, None] = await chunks_stream.recv_message()
-                assert response is not None and response.HasField("info")
+                if not response:
+                    await chunks_stream.recv_trailing_metadata()  # causes us to throw appropriate gRPC error.
+                assert response.HasField("info")
                 info = response.info
 
                 while True: