diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/compare.rs b/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/compare.rs
index 5333c738..3e6cb89f 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/compare.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/compare.rs
@@ -201,22 +201,37 @@ async fn check_rpc(
         "params": [block_hash, false],
     });
 
-    // TODO: don't unwrap! don't use the try operator
-    let response: JsonRpcResponse<Block<TxHash>> = client
+    let response = client
         .post(rpc.clone())
         .json(&block_by_hash_request)
         .send()
         .await
-        .context(format!("awaiting response from {}", rpc))?
-        .json()
-        .await
-        .context(format!("reading json on {}", rpc))?;
+        .context(format!("awaiting response from {}", rpc))?;
 
-    if let Some(result) = response.result {
+    if !response.status().is_success() {
+        return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+            "bad response from {}: {}",
+            rpc,
+            response.status(),
+        ));
+    }
+
+    let body = response
+        .text()
+        .await
+        .context(format!("failed parsing body from {}", rpc))?;
+
+    let response_json: JsonRpcResponse<Block<TxHash>> = serde_json::from_str(&body)
+        .context(format!("body: {}", body))
+        .context(format!("failed parsing json from {}", rpc))?;
+
+    if let Some(result) = response_json.result {
         let abbreviated = AbbreviatedBlock::from(result);
 
+        debug!("{} has {:?}@{}", rpc, abbreviated.hash, abbreviated.num);
+
         Ok(abbreviated)
-    } else if let Some(result) = response.error {
+    } else if let Some(result) = response_json.error {
         Err(anyhow!(
             "jsonrpc error during check_rpc from {}: {:#}",
             rpc,
@@ -226,7 +241,7 @@ async fn check_rpc(
         Err(anyhow!(
             "empty result during check_rpc from {}: {:#}",
             rpc,
-            json!(response)
+            json!(response_json)
         ))
     }
 }
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/mod.rs b/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/mod.rs
index 3f32e68b..b6a6844d 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/mod.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/bin/web3_proxy_cli/sentryd/mod.rs
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ impl SentrydSubCommand {
             .or_else(|| top_config.map(|x| x.app.chain_id))
             .context("--config or --chain-id required")?;
 
-        let web3_proxy = self.web3_proxy.trim_end_matches("/").to_string();
+        let primary_proxy = self.web3_proxy.trim_end_matches("/").to_string();
 
         let other_proxy: Vec<_> = self
             .other_proxy
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ impl SentrydSubCommand {
 
         // check the main rpc's /health endpoint
         {
-            let url = format!("{}/health", web3_proxy);
+            let url = format!("{}/health", primary_proxy);
             let error_sender = error_sender.clone();
 
             // TODO: what timeout?
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ impl SentrydSubCommand {
         {
             let max_age = self.max_age;
             let max_lag = self.max_lag;
-            let rpc = self.web3_proxy.clone();
+            let primary_proxy = primary_proxy.clone();
             let error_sender = error_sender.clone();
 
             let mut others = other_proxy.clone();
@@ -225,7 +225,13 @@ impl SentrydSubCommand {
                 log::Level::Error,
                 error_sender,
                 move |error_builder| {
-                    compare::main(error_builder, rpc.clone(), others.clone(), max_age, max_lag)
+                    compare::main(
+                        error_builder,
+                        primary_proxy.clone(),
+                        others.clone(),
+                        max_age,
+                        max_lag,
+                    )
                 },
             );