diff --git a/bc.lua b/bc.lua
index 86fbf242f9e5..3e9c75739aa8 100644
--- a/bc.lua
+++ b/bc.lua
@@ -185,19 +185,19 @@ function BaseControl:get(noun, timeout)
       ty=Message.NounRequest,
       noun=noun,
     })
-    local answer, err = self.network:pull(function(remote, msg)
+    local answer = self.network:pull(function(remote, msg)
       if remote ~= self.remote_nouns[noun] then return false end
       if msg.ty ~= Message.NounResponse then return false end
       if msg.noun ~= noun then return false end
       return true
     end, timeout)
-    if answer == nil then
-      return nil, err
-    else
+    if answer ~= nil then
       return answer.value
+    else
+      error("timeout")
     end
   else
-    return nil, "noun \""..noun.."\" unknown"
+    return error("unknown")
   end
 end
 
@@ -247,8 +247,6 @@ function BaseControl:call(verb, ...)
       verb=verb,
       param={...},
     })
-  else
-    error("unknown verb")
   end
 end
 
@@ -262,7 +260,7 @@ function BaseControl:call_sync(verb, ...)
       param={...},
       sync=true,
     })
-    local answer, err = self.network:pull(function(remote, msg)
+    local answer = self.network:pull(function(remote, msg)
       if remote ~= self.remote_verbs[verb] then return false end
       if msg.ty ~= Message.VerbResponse then return false end
       if msg.verb ~= verb then return false end
@@ -271,10 +269,10 @@ function BaseControl:call_sync(verb, ...)
     if answer ~= nil then
       return table.unpack(answer.ret)
     else
-      return nil, err
+      error("timeout")
     end
   else
-    error("unknown verb")
+    error("unknown")
   end
 end
 -- }}}
diff --git a/tests/dirty.lua b/tests/dirty.lua
index dee3f6e64190..b01f098fe5ae 100644
--- a/tests/dirty.lua
+++ b/tests/dirty.lua
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ function test_get_network_robust()
   )
 
   assert_equal(123, bc2:get("getrob1"), "wrong value")
-  assert_nil(bc2:get("getrob2"), "found non-exisiting")
+  assert_error_match("unknown", function()
+    bc2:get("getrob2")
+  end)
 end
 
 function test_call_sync_network_robust()
diff --git a/tests/local.lua b/tests/local.lua
index 3ffbd54a8f2b..22e399e7ec01 100644
--- a/tests/local.lua
+++ b/tests/local.lua
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ function test_get()
   bc:finalize()
 
   assert_equal(1234, bc:get("get1"), "wrong value for noun")
-  assert_equal(nil, bc:get("get2"), "got value for non-exisiting noun")
+  assert_error_match("unknown", function()
+    bc:get("get2")
+  end)
   assert_error_match("not a noun", function()
     bc:get("get2v")
   end)
diff --git a/tests/network.lua b/tests/network.lua
index 690e95fab29a..29642dd79267 100644
--- a/tests/network.lua
+++ b/tests/network.lua
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ function test_get_network()
   local bc2 = BaseControl:new()
 
   assert_equal(123, bc2:get("getnw1"), "wrong value")
-  assert_nil(bc2:get("getnw2"), "found non-exisiting")
+  assert_error_match("unknown", function()
+    bc2:unknown("getnw2")
+  end)
 end
 
 function test_call_network()