diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index 9d4edd387..b89833252 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ var addons = require('./addons.js'),
     assert = require('assert'),
     async = require('async'),
     backups = require('./backups.js'),
+    BackupsError = backups.BackupsError,
     certificates = require('./certificates.js'),
     config = require('./config.js'),
     constants = require('./constants.js'),
@@ -678,7 +679,9 @@ function restore(appId, data, auditSource, callback) {
         var func = data.backupId ? backups.getRestoreConfig.bind(null, data.backupId) : function (next) { return next(null, { manifest: app.manifest }); };
 
         func(function (error, restoreConfig) {
+            if (error && error.reason === BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
             if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+
             if (!restoreConfig) callback(new AppsError(AppsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'Could not get restore config'));
 
             // re-validate because this new box version may not accept old configs
diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index c6908bbf9..7d4ac4cfb 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -176,11 +176,14 @@ function getRestoreConfig(backupId, callback) {
         api(backupConfig.provider).getRestoreUrl(backupConfig, configFile, function (error, result) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
-            superagent.get(result.url, function (error, response) {
+            superagent.get(result.url).buffer(true).end(function (error, response) {
                 if (error && !error.response) return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
                 if (response.statusCode !== 200) return callback(new Error('Invalid response code when getting config.json : ' + response.statusCode));
 
-                return callback(null, response.body);
+                var config = safe.JSON.parse(response.text);
+                if (!config) return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'Error in config:' + safe.error.message));
+
+                return callback(null, config);
             });
         });
     });
diff --git a/src/routes/apps.js b/src/routes/apps.js
index caa595d96..5ed8cde7b 100644
--- a/src/routes/apps.js
+++ b/src/routes/apps.js
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ function restoreApp(req, res, next) {
         if (error && error.reason === AppsError.NOT_FOUND) return next(new HttpError(404, 'No such app'));
         if (error && error.reason === AppsError.BAD_FIELD) return next(new HttpError(400, error.message));
         if (error && error.reason === AppsError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
+        if (error && error.reason === AppsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR) return next(new HttpError(424, error.message));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
         next(new HttpSuccess(202, { }));