diff --git a/apisprout.go b/apisprout.go
index 44fc633..dfcda34 100644
--- a/apisprout.go
+++ b/apisprout.go
@@ -597,6 +597,48 @@ var handler = func(rr *RefreshableRouter) http.Handler {
 	})
 }
 
+//
+func loadSwaggerFromUri(uri string) (data []byte, err error) {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(uri, "http") {
+		req, httpErr := http.NewRequest("GET", uri, nil)
+		if httpErr != nil {
+			err = httpErr
+			return
+		}
+		if customHeader := viper.GetString("header"); customHeader != "" {
+			header := strings.Split(customHeader, ":")
+			if len(header) != 2 {
+				err = errors.New("Header format is invalid")
+			} else {
+				req.Header.Add(strings.TrimSpace(header[0]), strings.TrimSpace(header[1]))
+			}
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+
+		client := &http.Client{}
+		resp, httpErr := client.Do(req)
+		if httpErr != nil {
+			err = httpErr
+			return
+		}
+		defer resp.Body.Close()
+		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("Server at %s reported %d status code", uri, resp.StatusCode)
+			return
+		}
+		data, err = ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	} else {
+		data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(uri)
+	}
+
+	return data, err
+}
+
 // server loads an OpenAPI file and runs a mock server using the paths and
 // examples defined in the file.
 func server(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
@@ -611,65 +653,40 @@ func server(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 	// Load either from an HTTP URL or from a local file depending on the passed
 	// in value.
-	if strings.HasPrefix(uri, "http") {
-		req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", uri, nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
-		if customHeader := viper.GetString("header"); customHeader != "" {
-			header := strings.Split(customHeader, ":")
-			if len(header) != 2 {
-				log.Fatal("Header format is invalid.")
-			}
-			req.Header.Add(strings.TrimSpace(header[0]), strings.TrimSpace(header[1]))
-		}
-		client := &http.Client{}
-		resp, err := client.Do(req)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
+	data, err = loadSwaggerFromUri(uri)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
-		data, err = ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-		resp.Body.Close()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+	if viper.GetBool("watch") {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(uri, "http") {
+			log.Fatal(errors.New("Watching a URL is not supported."))
 		}
 
-		if viper.GetBool("watch") {
-			log.Fatal("Watching a URL is not supported.")
-		}
-	} else {
-		data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(uri)
+		// Set up a new filesystem watcher and reload the router every time
+		// the file has changed on disk.
+		watcher, err := fsnotify.NewWatcher()
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
-
-		if viper.GetBool("watch") {
-			// Set up a new filesystem watcher and reload the router every time
-			// the file has changed on disk.
-			watcher, err := fsnotify.NewWatcher()
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal(err)
-			}
-			defer watcher.Close()
-
-			go func() {
-				// Since waiting for events or errors is blocking, we do this in a
-				// goroutine. It loops forever here but will exit when the process
-				// is finished, e.g. when you `ctrl+c` to exit.
-				for {
-					select {
-					case event, ok := <-watcher.Events:
-						if !ok {
-							return
-						}
-						if event.Op&fsnotify.Write == fsnotify.Write {
-							fmt.Printf("🌙 Reloading %s\n", uri)
-							data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(uri)
-							if err != nil {
-								log.Fatal(err)
-							}
-
+		defer watcher.Close()
+
+		go func() {
+			// Since waiting for events or errors is blocking, we do this in a
+			// goroutine. It loops forever here but will exit when the process
+			// is finished, e.g. when you `ctrl+c` to exit.
+			for {
+				select {
+				case event, ok := <-watcher.Events:
+					if !ok {
+						return
+					}
+					if event.Op&fsnotify.Write == fsnotify.Write {
+						fmt.Printf("🌙 Reloading %s\n", uri)
+						data, err = loadSwaggerFromUri(uri)
+						if err != nil {
+							log.Printf("ERROR: %s", err)
+						} else {
 							if s, r, err := load(uri, data); err == nil {
 								swagger = s
 								rr.Set(r)
@@ -677,17 +694,17 @@ func server(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 								log.Printf("ERROR: Unable to load OpenAPI document: %s", err)
 							}
 						}
-					case err, ok := <-watcher.Errors:
-						if !ok {
-							return
-						}
-						fmt.Println("error:", err)
 					}
+				case err, ok := <-watcher.Errors:
+					if !ok {
+						return
+					}
+					log.Printf("ERROR: %s", err)
 				}
-			}()
+			}
+		}()
 
-			watcher.Add(uri)
-		}
+		watcher.Add(uri)
 	}
 
 	swagger, router, err := load(uri, data)
@@ -697,35 +714,25 @@ func server(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 	rr.Set(router)
 
-	if strings.HasPrefix(uri, "http") {
-		http.HandleFunc("/__reload", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-			resp, err := http.Get(uri)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Printf("ERROR: %v", err)
-				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
-				w.Write([]byte("error while reloading"))
-				return
-			}
-
-			data, err = ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-			resp.Body.Close()
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Printf("ERROR: %v", err)
-				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
-				w.Write([]byte("error while parsing"))
-				return
-			}
-
+	http.HandleFunc("/__reload", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		log.Printf("🌙 Reloading %s\n", uri)
+		data, err = loadSwaggerFromUri(uri)
+		if err == nil {
 			if s, r, err := load(uri, data); err == nil {
 				swagger = s
 				rr.Set(r)
 			}
-
+		}
+		if err == nil {
+			log.Printf("Reloaded from %s", uri)
 			w.WriteHeader(200)
 			w.Write([]byte("reloaded"))
-			log.Printf("Reloaded from %s", uri)
-		})
-	}
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("ERROR: %s", err)
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+			w.Write([]byte("error while reloading"))
+		}
+	})
 
 	// Add a health check route which returns 200
 	http.HandleFunc("/__health", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {