diff --git a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts
index 23d476ad95..e5b81ddc90 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts
@@ -34,10 +34,8 @@ describe("formatErrors", () => {
     expect(formatErrors(error, "name")).toEqual("Too long.");
   });
 
-  it("can return the errors for a single key from an array", () => {
-    const error = {
-      name: ["Too long.", "Too late."],
-    };
-    expect(formatErrors(error, "name")).toEqual("Too long. Too late.");
+  it("correctly formats fetch TypeError", () => {
+    const typeError = new TypeError("Failed to fetch");
+    expect(formatErrors(typeError)).toEqual("Failed to fetch");
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts
index b5784fc27b..c9c9b600ca 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ const flattenErrors = <E>(errors: E): string | null => {
 
 export type ErrorType<E = null, I = any, K extends keyof I = any> =
   | APIError<E>
-  | EventError<I, E, K>;
+  | EventError<I, E, K>
+  | Error;
 
 export const formatErrors = <E, I, K extends keyof I>(
   errors?: ErrorType<E, I, K>,
@@ -34,9 +35,14 @@ export const formatErrors = <E, I, K extends keyof I>(
       if (errorKey && errorKey in errors) {
         errorMessage = flattenErrors(errors[errorKey as keyof typeof errors]);
       } else {
-        errorMessage = Object.entries(errors)
-          .map(([key, value]) => `${key}: ${flattenErrors(value)}`)
-          .join(" ");
+        const errorEntries = Object.entries(errors);
+        if (errorEntries.length > 0) {
+          errorMessage = Object.entries(errors)
+            .map(([key, value]) => `${key}: ${flattenErrors(value)}`)
+            .join(" ");
+        } else if (errors instanceof Error) {
+          errorMessage = errors?.message;
+        }
       }
     } else if (typeof errors === "string") {
       errorMessage = errors;