diff --git a/api/views.py b/api/views.py
index a8d60b4662..b91fa760c4 100644
--- a/api/views.py
+++ b/api/views.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from sefaria.model import *
 from sefaria.model.text_reuqest_adapter import TextRequestAdapter
 from sefaria.client.util import jsonResponse
-from sefaria.system.exceptions import InputError
+from sefaria.system.exceptions import InputError, ComplexBookLevelRefError
 from django.views import View
 from .api_warnings import *
 
@@ -59,12 +59,16 @@ def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
 
         try:
             data = text_manager.get_versions_for_query()
-        except InputError as e:
-            if str(e) == "Can not get TextRange at this level, please provide a more precise reference":
-                return jsonResponse({'error': "Please pass a more specific ref for this book, and try again. The ref you passed is a \'complex\' book-level ref. We only support book-level refs in cases of texts with a 'simple' structure. To learn more about the structure of a text on Sefaria, see: https://developers.sefaria.org/docs/the-schema-of-a-simple-text"}, status=400)
-        data = self._handle_warnings(data)
+            data = self._handle_warnings(data)
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            if isinstance(e, InputError):
+                return jsonResponse({'error': e.message})
+
         return jsonResponse(data)
 
 
 
 
+
+
diff --git a/reader/views.py b/reader/views.py
index 527a185afb..f3fae99373 100644
--- a/reader/views.py
+++ b/reader/views.py
@@ -1450,7 +1450,7 @@ def _get_text(oref, versionEn=versionEn, versionHe=versionHe, commentary=comment
             try:
                 text = _get_text(oref, versionEn=versionEn, versionHe=versionHe, commentary=commentary, context=context, pad=pad,
                                  alts=alts, wrapLinks=wrapLinks, layer_name=layer_name)
-            except Exception as e:
+            except InputError as e:
                 if isinstance(e, ComplexBookLevelRefError):
                     return jsonResponse({'error': e.message}, status=400)
             return jsonResponse(text, cb)
diff --git a/sefaria/model/text.py b/sefaria/model/text.py
index f9bea61dae..d9c78cc652 100644
--- a/sefaria/model/text.py
+++ b/sefaria/model/text.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 import sefaria.system.cache as scache
 from sefaria.system.cache import in_memory_cache
 from sefaria.system.exceptions import InputError, BookNameError, PartialRefInputError, IndexSchemaError, \
-    NoVersionFoundError, DictionaryEntryNotFoundError, MissingKeyError
+    NoVersionFoundError, DictionaryEntryNotFoundError, MissingKeyError, ComplexBookLevelRefError
 from sefaria.utils.hebrew import has_hebrew, is_all_hebrew, hebrew_term
 from sefaria.utils.util import list_depth, truncate_string
 from sefaria.datatype.jagged_array import JaggedTextArray, JaggedArray
@@ -1693,7 +1693,7 @@ def __init__(self, oref, lang, vtitle, merge_versions=False, versions=None):
         elif oref.has_default_child(): #use default child:
             self.oref = oref.default_child_ref()
         else:
-            raise InputError("Can not get TextRange at this level, please provide a more precise reference")
+            raise ComplexBookLevelRefError(book_ref=oref.normal())
         self.lang = lang
         self.vtitle = vtitle
         self.merge_versions = merge_versions
@@ -2424,7 +2424,7 @@ def __init__(self, oref, context=1, commentary=True, version=None, lang=None,
         self._alts          = []
 
         if not isinstance(oref.index_node, JaggedArrayNode) and not oref.index_node.is_virtual:
-            raise InputError("Can not get TextFamily at this level, please provide a more precise reference")
+            raise InputError("Unable to find text for that ref")
 
         for i in range(0, context):
             oref = oref.context_ref()
@@ -3991,7 +3991,7 @@ def padded_ref(self):
                 if self.has_default_child():
                     return self.default_child_ref().padded_ref()
                 elif self.is_book_level():
-                    raise InputError("Can not get TextRange at this level, please provide a more precise reference")
+                    raise ComplexBookLevelRefError(book_ref=self.normal())
                 else:
                     raise InputError("Cannot pad a schema node ref.")
 
diff --git a/sefaria/system/exceptions.py b/sefaria/system/exceptions.py
index d0029d2105..8ef21b8f59 100644
--- a/sefaria/system/exceptions.py
+++ b/sefaria/system/exceptions.py
@@ -100,8 +100,12 @@ def __init__(self, method):
         self.message = f"'{method}' is not a valid HTTP API method."
         super().__init__(self.message)
 
-class ComplexBookLevelRefError(Exception):
+class ComplexBookLevelRefError(InputError):
     def __init__(self, book_ref):
         self.book_ref = book_ref
-        self.message = f"Please pass a more specific ref for this book, and try again. You passed in a \'complex\' book-level ref. We only support book-level refs in cases of texts with a 'simple' structure. To learn more about the structure of a text on Sefaria, see: https://developers.sefaria.org/docs/the-schema-of-a-simple-text"
+        self.message = (f"You passed '{book_ref}', please pass a more specific ref for this book, and try again. "
+                        f"'{book_ref}' is a \'complex\' book-level ref. We only support book-level "
+                        f"refs in cases of texts with a 'simple' structure. To learn more about the "
+                        f"structure of a text on Sefaria, "
+                        f"see: https://developers.sefaria.org/docs/the-schema-of-a-simple-text")
         super().__init__(self.message)