diff --git a/examples/links_scraper.v b/examples/links_scraper.v
index afacac41a8..e138206def 100644
--- a/examples/links_scraper.v
+++ b/examples/links_scraper.v
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 import http
 
 fn main() {
-	html := http.get('https://news.ycombinator.com')
+	html := http.get('https://news.ycombinator.com') or {
+		println('Failed fetching from URL')
+		return
+	}
 	mut pos := 0
 	for {
 		pos = html.index_after('https://', pos + 1)
diff --git a/examples/news_fetcher.v b/examples/news_fetcher.v
index 574940d7e6..c355209fd9 100644
--- a/examples/news_fetcher.v
+++ b/examples/news_fetcher.v
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ fn (f mut Fetcher) fetch() {
 		id := f.ids[f.cursor]
 		f.cursor++
 		f.mu.unlock()
-		resp := http.get('https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/item/${id}.json')
+		resp := http.get('https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/item/${id}.json') or {
+			println('failed to fetch data from /v0/item/${id}.json')
+			exit(1)
+		}
 		story := json.decode(Story, resp) or {
 			println('failed to decode a story')
 			exit(1)
@@ -48,9 +51,12 @@ fn (f mut Fetcher) fetch() {
 
 // Fetches top HN stories in 8 coroutines
 fn main() {
-	resp := http.get('https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/topstories.json')
+	resp := http.get('https://hacker-news.firebaseio.com/v0/topstories.json') or {
+		println('failed to fetch data from /v0/topstories.json')
+		return
+	}
 	ids := json.decode( []int, resp) or {
-		println('failed to fetch topstories.json')
+		println('failed to decode topstories.json')
 		return
 	}
 	fetcher := &Fetcher{ids: ids}
diff --git a/vlib/http/http.v b/vlib/http/http.v
index 5f38259f9e..e5b97b2bcf 100644
--- a/vlib/http/http.v
+++ b/vlib/http/http.v
@@ -28,23 +28,32 @@ pub:
 }
 
 // embed 'http'
-pub fn get(url string) string {
-	if url == '' {
-		println('http: empty get url')
-		return ''
+pub fn fetch(typ, url, data string) ?Response {
+	req := new_request('GET', url, '') or {
+		return error(err)
 	}
-	mut req := new_request('GET', url, '')
 	resp := req.do()
+	return resp
+}
+
+pub fn get(url string) ?string {
+	resp := fetch('GET', url, '') or {
+		return error(err)
+	}
 	return resp.body
 }
 
-pub fn post(url, data string) string {
-	req := new_request('POST', url, data)
-	resp := req.do()
+pub fn post(url, data string) ?string {
+	resp := fetch('POST', url, data) or {
+		return error(err)
+	}
 	return resp.body
 }
 
-pub fn new_request(typ, _url, _data string) *Request {
+pub fn new_request(typ, _url, _data string) ?Request {
+	if _url == '' {
+		return error('http: empty url')
+	}
 	mut url := _url
 	mut data := _data
 	// req.headers['User-Agent'] = 'V $VERSION'
@@ -54,7 +63,7 @@ pub fn new_request(typ, _url, _data string) *Request {
 		data = ''
 	}
 	// req.headers = new_map(0, sizeof(string))// []string{}
-	return &Request {
+	return Request {
 		typ: typ
 		url: url
 		data: data
@@ -64,12 +73,6 @@ pub fn new_request(typ, _url, _data string) *Request {
 	}
 }
 
-/* 
-fn (req &Request) do() Response {
-	mut resp := Response{}
-	return resp
-}
-*/
 fn (req mut Request) free() {
 	req.headers.free()
 }