diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index c7b9b038..4079c720 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -288,3 +288,7 @@ func (p *Pages) Error500(w io.Writer) error {
 func (p *Pages) Error404(w io.Writer) error {
 	return p.execute("errors/404", w, nil)
 }
+
+func (p *Pages) Error503(w io.Writer) error {
+	return p.execute("errors/503", w, nil)
+}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/errors/404.html b/appview/pages/templates/errors/404.html
index 4ec3c7f5..1f8b2681 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/errors/404.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/errors/404.html
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 {{ define "title" }}404 · tangled{{ end }}
 
 {{ define "content" }}
-    <h3>404 &mdash; nothing like that here!</h3>
+    <h1>404 &mdash; nothing like that here!</h1>
+    <p>
+        It seems we couldn't find what you were looking for. Sorry about that!
+    </p>
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/errors/500.html b/appview/pages/templates/errors/500.html
index be763975..14709f29 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/errors/500.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/errors/500.html
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {{ define "title" }}500 &middot; tangled{{ end }}
 
 {{ define "content" }}
-    <h3>500 &mdash; something broke!</h3>
+    <h1>500 &mdash; something broke!</h1>
+    <p>We're working on getting service back up. Hang tight!</p>
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/errors/503.html b/appview/pages/templates/errors/503.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17254799
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/errors/503.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{{ define "title" }}503 &middot; tangled{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "content" }}
+    <h1>503 &mdash; unable to reach knot</h1>
+    <p>
+        We were unable to reach the knot hosting this repository. Try again
+        later.
+    </p>
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/topbar.html b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/topbar.html
index 6c331786..d56397a3 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/topbar.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/topbar.html
@@ -42,6 +42,6 @@
             {{ end }}
         </nav>
     {{ else }}
-        <a href="/login" class="btn my-2">login</a>
+        <a href="/login" class="btn my-2 no-underline">login</a>
     {{ end }}
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/state/repo.go b/appview/state/repo.go
index a49e255a..2b1234b3 100644
--- a/appview/state/repo.go
+++ b/appview/state/repo.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ func (s *State) RepoIndex(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	resp, err := http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/%s/%s", f.Knot, f.OwnerDid(), f.RepoName))
 	if err != nil {
+		s.pages.Error503(w)
 		log.Println("failed to reach knotserver", err)
 		return
 	}