diff --git a/git_config.py b/git_config.py
index 2270200..a294a0b 100644
--- a/git_config.py
+++ b/git_config.py
@@ -596,14 +596,11 @@
         try:
           info_url = u + 'ssh_info'
           info = urllib.request.urlopen(info_url).read()
-          if '<' in info:
-            # Assume the server gave us some sort of HTML
-            # response back, like maybe a login page.
+          if info == 'NOT_AVAILABLE' or '<' in info:
+            # If `info` contains '<', we assume the server gave us some sort
+            # of HTML response back, like maybe a login page.
             #
-            raise UploadError('%s: Cannot parse response' % info_url)
-
-          if info == 'NOT_AVAILABLE':
-            # Assume HTTP if SSH is not enabled.
+            # Assume HTTP if SSH is not enabled or ssh_info doesn't look right.
             self._review_url = http_url + 'p/'
           else:
             host, port = info.split()
diff --git a/subcmds/sync.py b/subcmds/sync.py
index 002d05f..e9d52b7 100644
--- a/subcmds/sync.py
+++ b/subcmds/sync.py
@@ -496,6 +496,8 @@
         sys.exit(1)
 
       manifest_server = self.manifest.manifest_server
+      if not opt.quiet:
+        print('Using manifest server %s' % manifest_server)
 
       if not '@' in manifest_server:
         username = None
@@ -564,7 +566,8 @@
             sys.exit(1)
           self._ReloadManifest(manifest_name)
         else:
-          print('error: %s' % manifest_str, file=sys.stderr)
+          print('error: manifest server RPC call failed: %s' %
+                manifest_str, file=sys.stderr)
           sys.exit(1)
       except (socket.error, IOError, xmlrpc.client.Fault) as e:
         print('error: cannot connect to manifest server %s:\n%s'