diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApi.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApi.java
index 21bd43593..34a740c3e 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApi.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApi.java
@@ -14,19 +14,19 @@ interface MailboxApi {
 	 *
 	 * @param properties MailboxProperties with the setup token
 	 * @return the owner token
-	 * @throws PermanentFailureException for 401 response.
+	 * @throws ApiException for 401 response.
 	 */
 	String setup(MailboxProperties properties)
-			throws IOException, PermanentFailureException;
+			throws IOException, ApiException;
 
 	/**
 	 * Checks the status of the mailbox.
 	 *
 	 * @return true if the status is OK, false otherwise.
-	 * @throws PermanentFailureException for 401 response.
+	 * @throws ApiException for 401 response.
 	 */
 	boolean checkStatus(MailboxProperties properties)
-			throws IOException, PermanentFailureException;
+			throws IOException, ApiException;
 
 	/**
 	 * Adds a new contact to the mailbox.
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ interface MailboxApi {
 	 * (contact was already added).
 	 */
 	void addContact(MailboxProperties properties, MailboxContact contact)
-			throws IOException, PermanentFailureException,
+			throws IOException, ApiException,
 			TolerableFailureException;
 
 	@Immutable
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ interface MailboxApi {
 	}
 
 	@Immutable
-	class PermanentFailureException extends Exception {
+	class ApiException extends Exception {
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiImpl.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiImpl.java
index 007ef468d..74012ae51 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiImpl.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiImpl.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class MailboxApiImpl implements MailboxApi {
 
 	@Override
 	public String setup(MailboxProperties properties)
-			throws IOException, PermanentFailureException {
+			throws IOException, ApiException {
 		if (!properties.isOwner()) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
 		Request request = getRequestBuilder(properties.getAuthToken())
 				.url(properties.getOnionAddress() + "/setup")
@@ -50,23 +50,23 @@ class MailboxApiImpl implements MailboxApi {
 		OkHttpClient client = httpClientProvider.get();
 		Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();
 		// TODO consider throwing a special exception for the 401 case
-		if (response.code() == 401) throw new PermanentFailureException();
-		if (!response.isSuccessful()) throw new PermanentFailureException();
+		if (response.code() == 401) throw new ApiException();
+		if (!response.isSuccessful()) throw new ApiException();
 		ResponseBody body = response.body();
-		if (body == null) throw new PermanentFailureException();
+		if (body == null) throw new ApiException();
 		try {
 			JsonNode node = mapper.readTree(body.string());
 			JsonNode tokenNode = node.get("token");
 			if (tokenNode == null) {
-				throw new PermanentFailureException();
+				throw new ApiException();
 			}
 			String ownerToken = tokenNode.textValue();
 			if (ownerToken == null || !isValidToken(ownerToken)) {
-				throw new PermanentFailureException();
+				throw new ApiException();
 			}
 			return ownerToken;
 		} catch (JacksonException e) {
-			throw new PermanentFailureException();
+			throw new ApiException();
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -83,20 +83,20 @@ class MailboxApiImpl implements MailboxApi {
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean checkStatus(MailboxProperties properties)
-			throws IOException, PermanentFailureException {
+			throws IOException, ApiException {
 		if (!properties.isOwner()) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
 		Request request = getRequestBuilder(properties.getAuthToken())
 				.url(properties.getOnionAddress() + "/status")
 				.build();
 		OkHttpClient client = httpClientProvider.get();
 		Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();
-		if (response.code() == 401) throw new PermanentFailureException();
+		if (response.code() == 401) throw new ApiException();
 		return response.isSuccessful();
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void addContact(MailboxProperties properties, MailboxContact contact)
-			throws IOException, PermanentFailureException,
+			throws IOException, ApiException,
 			TolerableFailureException {
 		if (!properties.isOwner()) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
 		byte[] bodyBytes = mapper.writeValueAsBytes(contact);
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiTest.java b/bramble-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiTest.java
index c61e1613d..5ab0bcbf2 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiTest.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/mailbox/MailboxApiTest.java
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ package org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.WeakSingletonProvider;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.ContactId;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.mailbox.MailboxProperties;
+import org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox.MailboxApi.ApiException;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox.MailboxApi.MailboxContact;
-import org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox.MailboxApi.PermanentFailureException;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.mailbox.MailboxApi.TolerableFailureException;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.test.BrambleTestCase;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -85,50 +85,42 @@ public class MailboxApiTest extends BrambleTestCase {
 		assertToken(request1, token);
 
 		// empty body
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class,
-				() -> api.setup(properties));
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.setup(properties));
 		RecordedRequest request2 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/setup", request2.getPath());
 		assertEquals("PUT", request2.getMethod());
 		assertToken(request2, token);
 
 		// invalid response
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class,
-				() -> api.setup(properties));
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.setup(properties));
 		RecordedRequest request3 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/setup", request3.getPath());
 		assertEquals("PUT", request3.getMethod());
 		assertToken(request3, token);
 
 		// 401 response
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class,
-				() -> api.setup(properties2));
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.setup(properties2));
 		RecordedRequest request4 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/setup", request4.getPath());
 		assertEquals("PUT", request4.getMethod());
 		assertToken(request4, token2);
 
 		// 500 response
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class,
-				() -> api.setup(properties));
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.setup(properties));
 		RecordedRequest request5 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/setup", request5.getPath());
 		assertEquals("PUT", request5.getMethod());
 		assertToken(request5, token);
 
 		// invalid json dict token response
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class,
-				() -> api.setup(properties)
-		);
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.setup(properties));
 		RecordedRequest request6 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/setup", request6.getPath());
 		assertEquals("PUT", request6.getMethod());
 		assertToken(request6, token);
 
 		// invalid non-hex string token response
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class,
-				() -> api.setup(properties)
-		);
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.setup(properties));
 		RecordedRequest request7 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/setup", request7.getPath());
 		assertEquals("PUT", request7.getMethod());
@@ -163,9 +155,7 @@ public class MailboxApiTest extends BrambleTestCase {
 		assertEquals("/status", request1.getPath());
 		assertToken(request1, token);
 
-		assertThrows(PermanentFailureException.class, () ->
-				api.checkStatus(properties2)
-		);
+		assertThrows(ApiException.class, () -> api.checkStatus(properties2));
 		RecordedRequest request2 = server.takeRequest();
 		assertEquals("/status", request2.getPath());
 		assertToken(request2, token2);