diff --git a/lib/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv.rb b/lib/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv.rb
index f5f112d..97828b7 100644
--- a/lib/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv.rb
+++ b/lib/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def configure_options!
           print "server: "
           options.merge!('server' => parse_user_input(gets.strip))
           puts '---------------------------------------------------------------'
-          puts '  Lolsrv - Upload and sync lolcommits to a remote server'
+          puts '  Lolsrv - Sync lolcommits to a remote server'
           puts ''
           puts '  Handle POST /uplol with these request params'
           puts ''
@@ -82,67 +82,56 @@ def run_capture_ready(do_fork: true)
 
       private
 
-      ##
-      # Message to show if syncing fails
-      #
-      # @return [String] message text
-      #
-      def fail_message
-        "failed :( (try again with --debug)\n"
-      end
-
       ##
       #
       # Syncs lolcommmit images to the remote server
       #
-      # Fetches from /lols and iterates over objects in the JSON array
-      # For each image found in the local loldir folder, check if it has already
-      # been uploaded. If not upload the image with a POST request and
+      # Fetches from /lols and iterates over shas in the JSON array. Then for
+      # each image found in the local loldir folder, check if it has already
+      # been uploaded. If not, upload the image with a POST request and
       # upload_params.
       #
-      # Upload requests that fail are skipped.
+      # Upload requests that fail abort the sync
       #
       def sync
-        print "Syncing with lolsrv ... "
-        existing = existing_lols
-
-        # abort sync when invalid response or error from lols_endpoint
-        unless existing
-          print fail_message; return
-        end
+        print "Syncing lols ... "
+        raise 'failed fetching existing lols' unless existing_shas
 
         Dir[runner.config.loldir + '/*.{jpg,gif}'].each do |image|
           sha = File.basename(image, '.*')
-          response = upload(image, sha) unless existing.include?(sha) || sha == 'tmp_snapshot'
-          unless response
-            print fail_message; return
+          unless existing_shas.include?(sha) || sha == 'tmp_snapshot'
+            response = upload(image, sha)
+            raise "failed uploading #{image}" if response.nil?
           end
         end
 
         print "done!\n"
+      rescue RuntimeError => e
+        print "#{e.message} (try again with --debug)\n"
       end
 
       ##
       #
       # Fetch and parse JSON response from `server/lols`, returning an array of
-      # commit SHA's. Logs error and returns nil on NET/HTTP and JSON parsing
-      # errors.
+      # commit SHA's. Logs and returns nil on NET/HTTP and JSON parsing errors.
       #
       # @return [Array] containing commit SHA's
       # @return [Nil] if an error occurred
       #
-      def existing_lols
-        lols = JSON.parse(RestClient.get(lols_endpoint))
-        lols.map { |lol| lol['sha'] }
-      rescue JSON::ParserError, SocketError, RestClient::RequestFailed => e
-        log_error(e, "ERROR: existing lols could not be retrieved #{e.class} - #{e.message}")
-        return nil
+      def existing_shas
+        @existing_shas ||= begin
+          lols = JSON.parse(RestClient.get(lols_endpoint))
+          lols.map { |lol| lol['sha'] }
+        rescue JSON::ParserError, SocketError, RestClient::RequestFailed => e
+          log_error(e, "ERROR: existing lols could not be retrieved #{e.class} - #{e.message}")
+          return nil
+        end
       end
 
       ##
       #
       # Upload the lolcommit image to `server/uplol` with commit params. Logs
-      # error and returns nil on NET/HTTP errors.
+      # and returns nil on NET/HTTP errors.
       #
       # @return [RestClient::Response] response object from POST request
       #
diff --git a/test/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv_test.rb b/test/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv_test.rb
index 97b7b79..d558c9f 100644
--- a/test/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv_test.rb
+++ b/test/lolcommits/plugin/lolsrv_test.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ def valid_enabled_config
     end
 
     describe "run_capture_ready" do
-      before { commit_repo_with_message }
+      before do
+        commit_repo_with_message
+      end
+
       after { teardown_repo }
 
       it "syncs lolcommits" do
@@ -77,8 +80,11 @@ def valid_enabled_config
 
           stub_request(:post, "https://lolsrv.com/uplol").to_return(status: 200)
 
-          fake_io_capture { plugin.run_capture_ready(do_fork: false) }
+          output = fake_io_capture do
+            plugin.run_capture_ready(do_fork: false)
+          end
 
+          assert_equal output, "Syncing lols ... done!\n"
           assert_requested :get, "https://lolsrv.com/lols", times: 1
           assert_requested :post, "https://lolsrv.com/uplol", times: 1,
             headers: {'Content-Type' => /multipart\/form-data/ } do |req|
@@ -88,6 +94,20 @@ def valid_enabled_config
           end
         end
       end
+
+      it "shows error and aborts on failed lols endpoint" do
+        in_repo do
+          plugin.config = valid_enabled_config
+          stub_request(:get, "https://lolsrv.com/lols").to_return(status: 404)
+
+          output = fake_io_capture do
+            plugin.run_capture_ready(do_fork: false)
+          end
+
+          assert_equal output, "Syncing lols ... failed fetching existing lols (try again with --debug)\n"
+          assert_not_requested :post, "https://lolsrv.com/uplol"
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     describe "configuration" do