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 8a3e11d6a..4040df48b 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
@@ -50,9 +50,12 @@ interface MailboxApi {
 	/**
 	 * Gets a list of {@link ContactId}s from the mailbox.
 	 * These are the contacts that the mailbox already knows about.
+	 *
+	 * @throws TolerableFailureException if response code is 404
+	 * (contact probably was already deleted).
 	 */
 	Collection<ContactId> getContacts(MailboxProperties properties)
-			throws IOException, ApiException;
+			throws IOException, ApiException, TolerableFailureException;
 
 	@Immutable
 	@JsonSerialize
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 076452c61..3a42d9e6f 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
@@ -89,11 +89,7 @@ class MailboxApiImpl implements MailboxApi {
 	public boolean checkStatus(MailboxProperties properties)
 			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();
+		Response response = sendGetRequest(properties, "/status");
 		if (response.code() == 401) throw new ApiException();
 		return response.isSuccessful();
 	}
@@ -132,13 +128,10 @@ class MailboxApiImpl implements MailboxApi {
 
 	@Override
 	public Collection<ContactId> getContacts(MailboxProperties properties)
-			throws IOException, ApiException {
+			throws IOException, ApiException, TolerableFailureException {
 		if (!properties.isOwner()) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
-		Request request = getRequestBuilder(properties.getAuthToken())
-				.url(properties.getOnionAddress() + "/contacts")
-				.build();
-		OkHttpClient client = httpClientProvider.get();
-		Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();
+		Response response = sendGetRequest(properties, "/contacts");
+		if (response.code() == 404) throw new TolerableFailureException();
 		if (response.code() != 200) throw new ApiException();
 
 		ResponseBody body = response.body();
@@ -162,6 +155,15 @@ class MailboxApiImpl implements MailboxApi {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private Response sendGetRequest(MailboxProperties properties, String path)
+			throws IOException {
+		Request request = getRequestBuilder(properties.getAuthToken())
+				.url(properties.getOnionAddress() + path)
+				.build();
+		OkHttpClient client = httpClientProvider.get();
+		return client.newCall(request).execute();
+	}
+
 	private Request.Builder getRequestBuilder(String token) {
 		return new Request.Builder()
 				.addHeader("Authorization", "Bearer " + token);
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 97cb63b26..a62d012d6 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
@@ -286,6 +286,7 @@ public class MailboxApiTest extends BrambleTestCase {
 		server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setBody(invalidResponse3));
 		server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setResponseCode(401));
 		server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setResponseCode(500));
+		server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setResponseCode(404));
 		server.start();
 		String baseUrl = getBaseUrl(server);
 		MailboxProperties properties =
@@ -349,6 +350,14 @@ public class MailboxApiTest extends BrambleTestCase {
 		assertEquals("/contacts", request8.getPath());
 		assertEquals("GET", request8.getMethod());
 		assertToken(request8, token);
+
+		// tolerable 404 not found error
+		assertThrows(TolerableFailureException.class,
+				() -> api.getContacts(properties));
+		RecordedRequest request9 = server.takeRequest();
+		assertEquals("/contacts", request9.getPath());
+		assertEquals("GET", request9.getMethod());
+		assertToken(request9, token);
 	}
 
 	@Test