diff --git a/frontend/src/app/(navfooter)/error.tsx b/frontend/src/app/(navfooter)/error.tsx
index 1f120aa9..2cfae610 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/(navfooter)/error.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/(navfooter)/error.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 
 "use client"
 
-import Error from "../error"
+import ErrorPage from "../error"
 
-export default Error
+export default ErrorPage
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/error.tsx b/frontend/src/app/error.tsx
index 38956884..537969b7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/error.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/error.tsx
@@ -7,22 +7,36 @@ import { SyncIcon } from "@primer/octicons-react"
 import Button from "@/components/Button"
 import ErrorBoundary from "@/components/ErrorBoundary"
 import SetPageTitle from "@/components/SetPageTitle"
+import { RequestFailedError } from "@/lib/api"
 
-export const metadata = {
-    title: "Error",
+type ErrorPageProps = {error: Error, reset: () => void };
+
+function NetworkErrorPage({ error, reset }: ErrorPageProps) {
+    return <>
+        <SetPageTitle title="Error" />
+        <div className="grow" />
+        <main className="max-w-prose p-4 md:mx-auto">
+            <h1 className="py-4 text-3xl font-semibold">We're having some trouble reaching the backend</h1>
+
+            <div className="rounded bg-gray-2 p-4 text-gray-11">
+                <code className="font-mono text-sm">{error.toString()}</code>
+            </div>
+
+            <p className="py-4">
+                If your internet connection is okay, we're probably down for maintenance, and will be back shortly. If this issue persists - <a href="https://discord.gg/sutqNShRRs" className="text-blue-11 hover:underline active:translate-y-px">let us know</a>.
+            </p>
+
+            <ErrorBoundary>
+                <Button onClick={reset}>
+                    <SyncIcon /> Try again
+                </Button>
+            </ErrorBoundary>
+        </main>
+        <div className="grow" />
+    </>
 }
 
-export default function Error({
-    error,
-    reset,
-}: {
-    error: Error
-    reset: () => void
-}) {
-    useEffect(() => {
-        console.error(error)
-    }, [error])
-
+function UnexpectedErrorPage({ error, reset }: ErrorPageProps) {
     return <>
         <SetPageTitle title="Error" />
         <div className="grow" />
@@ -46,3 +60,15 @@ export default function Error({
         <div className="grow" />
     </>
 }
+
+export default function ErrorPage({ error, reset }: ErrorPageProps) {
+    useEffect(() => {
+        console.error(error)
+    }, [error])
+
+    return error instanceof RequestFailedError ? <NetworkErrorPage error={error} reset={reset} /> : <UnexpectedErrorPage error={error} reset={reset} />
+}
+
+export const metadata = {
+    title: "Error",
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/scratch/[slug]/ScratchEditor.tsx b/frontend/src/app/scratch/[slug]/ScratchEditor.tsx
index 8fa6522e..3ce7c0b7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/scratch/[slug]/ScratchEditor.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/scratch/[slug]/ScratchEditor.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react"
 
-import useSWR from "swr"
+import useSWR, { Middleware, SWRConfig } from "swr"
 
 import Scratch from "@/components/Scratch"
 import useWarnBeforeScratchUnload from "@/components/Scratch/hooks/useWarnBeforeScratchUnload"
@@ -18,13 +18,7 @@ function ScratchPageTitle({ scratch }: { scratch: api.Scratch }) {
     return <SetPageTitle title={title} />
 }
 
-export interface Props {
-    initialScratch: api.Scratch
-    parentScratch?: api.Scratch
-    initialCompilation?: api.Compilation
-}
-
-export default function ScratchEditor({ initialScratch, parentScratch, initialCompilation }: Props) {
+function ScratchEditorInner({ initialScratch, parentScratch, initialCompilation, offline }: Props) {
     const [scratch, setScratch] = useState(initialScratch)
 
     useWarnBeforeScratchUnload(scratch)
@@ -75,7 +69,42 @@ export default function ScratchEditor({ initialScratch, parentScratch, initialCo
                         return { ...scratch, ...partial }
                     })
                 }}
+                offline={offline}
             />
         </main>
     </>
 }
+
+export interface Props {
+    initialScratch: api.Scratch
+    parentScratch?: api.Scratch
+    initialCompilation?: api.Compilation
+    offline?: boolean
+}
+
+export default function ScratchEditor(props: Props) {
+    const [offline, setOffline] = useState(false)
+
+    const offlineMiddleware: Middleware = _useSWRNext => {
+        return (key, fetcher, config) => {
+            let swr = _useSWRNext(key, fetcher, config)
+
+            if (swr.error instanceof api.RequestFailedError) {
+                setOffline(true)
+                swr = Object.assign({}, swr, { error: null })
+            }
+
+            return swr
+        }
+    }
+
+    const onSuccess = () => {
+        setOffline(false)
+    }
+
+    return <>
+        <SWRConfig value={{ use: [offlineMiddleware], onSuccess }}>
+            <ScratchEditorInner {...props} offline={offline} />
+        </SWRConfig>
+    </>
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Scratch/Scratch.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Scratch/Scratch.tsx
index dc3045d7..63b8cc0d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Scratch/Scratch.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Scratch/Scratch.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ export type Props = {
     onChange: (scratch: Partial<api.Scratch>) => void
     parentScratch?: api.Scratch
     initialCompilation?: Readonly<api.Compilation>
+    offline: boolean
 }
 
 export default function Scratch({
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ export default function Scratch({
     onChange,
     parentScratch,
     initialCompilation,
+    offline,
 }: Props) {
     const container = useSize<HTMLDivElement>()
     const [layout, setLayout] = useState<Layout>(undefined)
@@ -286,6 +288,15 @@ export default function Scratch({
         }
     }
 
+    const offlineOverlay = (
+        offline ? <>
+            <div className="fixed top-10 self-center rounded bg-red-8 px-3 py-2">
+                <p className="text-sm">The scratch editor is in offline mode. We're attempting to reconnect to the backend - as long as this tab is open, your work is safe.</p>
+            </div>
+        </>
+            : <></>
+    )
+
     return <div ref={container.ref} className={styles.container}>
         <ErrorBoundary>
             <ScratchMatchBanner scratch={scratch} />
@@ -306,5 +317,6 @@ export default function Scratch({
                 renderTab={renderTab}
             />}
         </ErrorBoundary>
+        {offlineOverlay}
     </div>
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/request.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/request.ts
index c5eccb0d..24e6382b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api/request.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/request.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ export class ResponseError extends Error {
     }
 }
 
+export class RequestFailedError extends Error {
+    constructor(message: string, url: string) {
+        super(`${message} (occured when fetching ${url})`)
+        this.name = "RequestFailedError"
+    }
+}
+
 export function normalizeUrl(url: string) {
     if (url.startsWith("/")) {
         url = API_BASE + url
@@ -40,22 +47,36 @@ export function normalizeUrl(url: string) {
     return url
 }
 
-export async function get(url: string) {
+export async function errorHandledFetchJson(url: string, init?: RequestInit) {
+    let response: Response
+
     url = normalizeUrl(url)
 
-    console.info("GET", url)
+    try {
+        response = await fetch(url, init)
+    } catch (error) {
+        if (error instanceof TypeError) {
+            throw new RequestFailedError(error.message, url)
+        }
 
-    const response = await fetch(url, {
-        ...commonOpts,
-        cache: "no-cache",
-        next: { revalidate: 10 },
-    })
-
-    if (!response.ok) {
-        throw new ResponseError(response, await response.json())
+        throw error
     }
 
     try {
+        if (response.status == 502) {
+            // We've received a "Gateway Unavailable" message from nginx.
+            // The backend's down.
+            throw new RequestFailedError("Backend gateway unavailable", url)
+        }
+
+        if (!response.ok) {
+            throw new ResponseError(response, await response.json())
+        }
+
+        if (response.status == 204) {
+            return null
+        }
+
         return await response.json()
     } catch (error) {
         if (error instanceof SyntaxError) {
@@ -69,10 +90,17 @@ export async function get(url: string) {
     }
 }
 
-export async function post(url: string, data: Json | FormData, method = "POST") {
-    url = normalizeUrl(url)
+export async function get(url: string) {
+    console.info("GET", normalizeUrl(url))
+    return await errorHandledFetchJson(url, {
+        ...commonOpts,
+        cache: "no-cache",
+        next: { revalidate: 10 },
+    })
+}
 
-    console.info(method, url, data)
+export async function post(url: string, data: Json | FormData, method = "POST") {
+    console.info(method, normalizeUrl(url), data)
 
     let body: string | FormData
     if (data instanceof FormData) {
@@ -81,7 +109,7 @@ export async function post(url: string, data: Json | FormData, method = "POST")
         body = JSON.stringify(data)
     }
 
-    const response = await fetch(url, {
+    return await errorHandledFetchJson(url, {
         ...commonOpts,
         method,
         body,
@@ -89,16 +117,6 @@ export async function post(url: string, data: Json | FormData, method = "POST")
             "Content-Type": "application/json",
         },
     })
-
-    if (!response.ok) {
-        throw new ResponseError(response, await response.json())
-    }
-
-    if (response.status == 204) {
-        return null
-    } else {
-        return await response.json()
-    }
 }
 
 export async function patch(url: string, data: Json | FormData) {