diff --git a/webservice/webservice.py b/webservice/webservice.py
index 21e28df6a323525f19340e4be611e8c46e854dc8..63d37e11fe3fa5270b935ef39f68a7bfb80f1a19 100644
--- a/webservice/webservice.py
+++ b/webservice/webservice.py
@@ -814,13 +814,15 @@ def _orca_passthrough(
         args.extend([f"{k}={v}" for k, v in kwargs.items()])
 
         url = f"{base_url}:{port}/{route}/{proposal_number}?{'&'.join(filter(None, args))}"
-    except Exception as e:
+    except Exception:
         logging.warning("error building orca passthrough request", exc_info=True)
         return None
 
     try:
         requests.post(url)
-    except Exception as e:
+    except requests.ConnectionError:
+        logging.warning("Could not connect to orca to send passthrough request")
+    except Exception:
         logging.error(f"orca post request error for url {url}", exc_info=True)