diff --git a/site/src/api/errors.test.ts b/site/src/api/errors.test.ts
index d3612b254e99d..f17a1787112fd 100644
--- a/site/src/api/errors.test.ts
+++ b/site/src/api/errors.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   getValidationErrorMessage,
   isApiError,
   mapApiErrorToFieldErrors,
+  getErrorMessage,
 } from "./errors";
 
 describe("isApiError", () => {
@@ -82,4 +83,21 @@ describe("getValidationErrorMessage", () => {
       ),
     ).toEqual("");
   });
+
+  it("returns default message for error that is empty string", () => {
+    expect(getErrorMessage("", "Something went wrong.")).toBe(
+      "Something went wrong.",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("returns default message for 404 API response", () => {
+    expect(
+      getErrorMessage(
+        mockApiError({
+          message: "",
+        }),
+        "Something went wrong.",
+      ),
+    ).toBe("Something went wrong.");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/site/src/api/errors.ts b/site/src/api/errors.ts
index b7fbd0c7d76b2..953eefa47b5d5 100644
--- a/site/src/api/errors.ts
+++ b/site/src/api/errors.ts
@@ -62,10 +62,13 @@ export const getErrorMessage = (
   error: unknown,
   defaultMessage: string,
 ): string => {
-  if (isApiError(error)) {
+  // if error is API error
+  // 404s result in the default message being returned
+  if (isApiError(error) && error.response.data.message) {
     return error.response.data.message;
   }
-  if (typeof error === "string") {
+  // if error is a non-empty string
+  if (error && typeof error === "string") {
     return error;
   }
   return defaultMessage;