diff --git a/tom_observations/facilities/ocs.py b/tom_observations/facilities/ocs.py
index 94db8de0c..894a27608 100644
--- a/tom_observations/facilities/ocs.py
+++ b/tom_observations/facilities/ocs.py
@@ -1359,13 +1359,18 @@ def get_facility_status(self):
         """
         # make the request to the OCS API for the telescope_states
         now = datetime.now()
-        response = make_request(
-            'GET',
-            urljoin(self.facility_settings.get_setting('portal_url'), '/api/telescope_states/'),
-            headers=self._portal_headers()
-        )
-        telescope_states = response.json()
-        logger.warning(f"Telescope states took {(datetime.now() - now).total_seconds()}")
+        telescope_states = {}
+        try:
+            response = make_request(
+                'GET',
+                urljoin(self.facility_settings.get_setting('portal_url'), '/api/telescope_states/'),
+                headers=self._portal_headers()
+            )
+            response.raise_for_status()
+            telescope_states = response.json()
+            logger.info(f"Telescope states took {(datetime.now() - now).total_seconds()}")
+        except (requests.exceptions.HTTPError, requests.exceptions.ConnectionError) as e:
+            logger.warning(f"Error retrieving telescope_states from OCS for facility status: {repr(e)}")
         # Now, transform the telescopes_state dictionary in a dictionary suitable
         # for the facility_status.html template partial.
 
diff --git a/tom_observations/tests/facilities/test_ocs.py b/tom_observations/tests/facilities/test_ocs.py
index 338d57332..7d95ac31f 100644
--- a/tom_observations/tests/facilities/test_ocs.py
+++ b/tom_observations/tests/facilities/test_ocs.py
@@ -224,6 +224,15 @@ class TestOCSFacility(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.lco = OCSFacility()
 
+    @patch('tom_observations.facilities.ocs.make_request')
+    def test_get_facility_status_fails_gracefully(self, mock_make_request):
+        mock_response = Response()
+        mock_response._content = str.encode('ConnectionError - Error retrieving telescope states')
+        mock_response.status_code = 502
+        mock_make_request.return_value = mock_response
+        facility_status = self.lco.get_facility_status()
+        self.assertEqual(facility_status.get('sites'), [])
+
     @patch('tom_observations.facilities.ocs.make_request')
     def test_get_requestgroup_id(self, mock_make_request):
         mock_response = Response()