diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/MissingRepositoryException.java b/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/MissingRepositoryException.java
index ea9d6f07d7..9a9e233fc3 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/MissingRepositoryException.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/MissingRepositoryException.java
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ public class MissingRepositoryException extends SnapshotAPIException {
 
     private List<String> descriptionLines;
 
+    public MissingRepositoryException() { this.descriptionLines = GENERIC_REASON; }
+
     public MissingRepositoryException(List<String> descriptionLines) {
         this.descriptionLines = descriptionLines;
     }
diff --git a/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java b/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java
index 23c0b1d8f7..65dc8af0b9 100644
--- a/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java
+++ b/services/git-bridge/src/main/java/uk/ac/ic/wlgitbridge/snapshot/base/Request.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public abstract class Request<T extends Result> {
                         // disregard any errors that arose while handling the JSON
                     }
 
-                    throw new MissingRepositoryException(MissingRepositoryException.GENERIC_REASON);
+                    throw new MissingRepositoryException();
                 } else if (sc >= 400 && sc < 500) {
                     throw new MissingRepositoryException(MissingRepositoryException.GENERIC_REASON);
                 }