diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/branch.go b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/branch.go
index a25ef0e05..5602f6f97 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/branch.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/branch.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func (g Adapter) GetBranch(ctx context.Context, repoPath string,
 	branchName string) (*types.Branch, error) {
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/commit.go b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/commit.go
index f64db9763..e893a501f 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/commit.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/commit.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func (g Adapter) GetLatestCommit(ctx context.Context, repoPath string,
 
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (g Adapter) ListCommitSHAs(
 ) ([]string, error) {
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func (g Adapter) ListCommits(ctx context.Context,
 ) ([]types.Commit, []types.PathRenameDetails, error) {
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
+		return nil, nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ func getFileChangeTypeFromLog(changeStrings []string, filePath string) (*string,
 func (g Adapter) GetCommit(ctx context.Context, repoPath string, ref string) (*types.Commit, error) {
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func (g Adapter) GetFullCommitID(ctx context.Context, repoPath, shortID string)
 func (g Adapter) GetCommits(ctx context.Context, repoPath string, refs []string) ([]types.Commit, error) {
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/repo.go b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/repo.go
index 6a73b96c0..c119dcb7b 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/repo.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/repo.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func (g Adapter) SetDefaultBranch(ctx context.Context, repoPath string,
 	defaultBranch string, allowEmpty bool) error {
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/submodule.go b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/submodule.go
index 63afe2d37..ea933da96 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/submodule.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/submodule.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func (g Adapter) GetSubmodule(ctx context.Context, repoPath string,
 
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/tree.go b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/tree.go
index 2962b2b56..e0bbea392 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/gitea/tree.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/gitea/tree.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func (g Adapter) GetTreeNode(ctx context.Context, repoPath string,
 
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (g Adapter) ListTreeNodes(ctx context.Context, repoPath string,
 
 	giteaRepo, err := gitea.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, processGiteaErrorf(err, "failed to open repository")
 	}
 	defer giteaRepo.Close()
 
diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/service/operations.go b/gitrpc/internal/service/operations.go
index 0e583fe00..7803d0b18 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/service/operations.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/service/operations.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (s *CommitFilesService) CommitFiles(stream rpc.CommitFilesService_CommitFil
 	// TODO: why are we using the giteat operations here?
 	repo, err := git.OpenRepository(ctx, repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return processGitErrorf(err, "failed to open repo")
 	}
 
 	// check if repo is empty
diff --git a/gitrpc/internal/service/shared_repo.go b/gitrpc/internal/service/shared_repo.go
index e873f956c..e9a6e78b2 100644
--- a/gitrpc/internal/service/shared_repo.go
+++ b/gitrpc/internal/service/shared_repo.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (r *SharedRepo) Clone(ctx context.Context, branchName string) error {
 	}
 	gitRepo, err := git.OpenRepository(ctx, r.tmpPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return processGitErrorf(err, "failed to open repo")
 	}
 	r.repo = gitRepo
 	return nil
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func (r *SharedRepo) Init(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 	gitRepo, err := git.OpenRepository(ctx, r.tmpPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return processGitErrorf(err, "failed to open repo")
 	}
 	r.repo = gitRepo
 	return nil