diff --git a/.github/scripts/check_labels.py b/.github/scripts/check_labels.py
index 10be42c3fd5..0075050155e 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/check_labels.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/check_labels.py
@@ -45,15 +45,15 @@ def main() -> None:
 
     try:
         if not has_required_labels(pr):
-            print(LABEL_ERR_MSG)
+            print(LABEL_ERR_MSG, flush=True)
             add_label_err_comment(pr)
             if args.exit_non_zero:
-                sys.exit(1)
+                raise RuntimeError("PR does not have required labels")
         else:
             delete_all_label_err_comments(pr)
     except Exception as e:
         if args.exit_non_zero:
-            sys.exit(1)
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Error checking labels: {e}") from e
 
     sys.exit(0)
 
diff --git a/.github/scripts/github_utils.py b/.github/scripts/github_utils.py
index 1650b93df52..1583639b1f9 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/github_utils.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/github_utils.py
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ def gh_fetch_url(
     headers: Optional[Dict[str, str]] = None,
     data: Union[Optional[Dict[str, Any]], str] = None,
     method: Optional[str] = None,
-    reader: Callable[[Any], Any] = lambda x: x.read(),
+    reader: Callable[[Any], Any] = json.load,
 ) -> Any:
     return gh_fetch_url_and_headers(
-        url, headers=headers, data=data, reader=json.load, method=method
+        url, headers=headers, data=data, reader=reader, method=method
     )[1]
 
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def gh_post_commit_comment(
 
 def gh_delete_comment(org: str, repo: str, comment_id: int) -> None:
     url = f"{GITHUB_API_URL}/repos/{org}/{repo}/issues/comments/{comment_id}"
-    gh_fetch_url(url, method="DELETE")
+    gh_fetch_url(url, method="DELETE", reader=lambda x: x.read())
 
 
 def gh_fetch_merge_base(org: str, repo: str, base: str, head: str) -> str: