diff --git a/realis.go b/realis.go
index d66a4a2..1a0944b 100644
--- a/realis.go
+++ b/realis.go
@@ -528,19 +528,20 @@ func (r *realisClient) GetInstanceIds(key *aurora.JobKey, states map[aurora.Sche
 			fmt.Println("error in ReestablishConn: ", err1)
 		}
 	}
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Error querying Aurora Scheduler for active IDs")
 	}
-
+	resp, err = response.ResponseCodeCheck(resp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	tasks := response.ScheduleStatusResult(resp).GetTasks()
-
 	jobInstanceIds := make(map[int32]bool)
 	for _, task := range tasks {
 		jobInstanceIds[task.GetAssignedTask().GetInstanceId()] = true
 	}
-
 	return jobInstanceIds, nil
+
 }
 
 func (r *realisClient) GetJobUpdateSummaries(jobUpdateQuery *aurora.JobUpdateQuery) (*aurora.Response, error) {
diff --git a/response/response.go b/response/response.go
index c9da05e..97cffe3 100644
--- a/response/response.go
+++ b/response/response.go
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ package response
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"github.com/rdelval/gorealis/gen-go/apache/aurora"
+
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/rdelval/gorealis/gen-go/apache/aurora"
 )
 
 // Get key from a response created by a StartJobUpdate call
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ func ScheduleStatusResult(resp *aurora.Response) *aurora.ScheduleStatusResult_ {
 }
 
 func ResponseCodeCheck(resp *aurora.Response) (*aurora.Response, error) {
+	if resp == nil {
+		return resp, errors.New("Got nil Response")
+	}
 	if resp.GetResponseCode() != aurora.ResponseCode_OK {
 		return resp, errors.New(CombineMessage(resp))
 	}
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ func CombineMessage(resp *aurora.Response) string {
 	}
 
 	if buffer.Len() > 0 {
-		buffer.Truncate(buffer.Len()-2) // Get rid of trailing comma + space
+		buffer.Truncate(buffer.Len() - 2) // Get rid of trailing comma + space
 	}
 	return buffer.String()
 }