diff --git a/src/api/tests/test_available.py b/src/api/tests/test_available.py
index 52d0d962c..c7253fa35 100644
--- a/src/api/tests/test_available.py
+++ b/src/api/tests/test_available.py
@@ -108,10 +108,9 @@ class AvailableViewTest(MockEppLib):
         request.user = self.user
         response = available(request, domain=bad_string)
         self.assertFalse(json.loads(response.content)["available"])
-        # domain set to raise error successfully raises error
-        with self.assertRaises(RegistryError):
-            error_domain_available = available(request, "errordomain.gov")
-            self.assertFalse(json.loads(error_domain_available.content)["available"])
+        # domain set to raise error returns false for availability
+        error_domain_available = available(request, "errordomain.gov")
+        self.assertFalse(json.loads(error_domain_available.content)["available"])
 
 
 class AvailableAPITest(MockEppLib):
diff --git a/src/api/views.py b/src/api/views.py
index a80aff643..94a5ea9f9 100644
--- a/src/api/views.py
+++ b/src/api/views.py
@@ -89,11 +89,14 @@ def available(request, domain=""):
             {"available": False, "message": DOMAIN_API_MESSAGES["invalid"]}
         )
     # a domain is available if it is NOT in the list of current domains
-    if check_domain_available(domain):
-        return JsonResponse(
-            {"available": True, "message": DOMAIN_API_MESSAGES["success"]}
-        )
-    else:
-        return JsonResponse(
-            {"available": False, "message": DOMAIN_API_MESSAGES["unavailable"]}
-        )
+    try:
+        if check_domain_available(domain):
+            return JsonResponse(
+                {"available": True, "message": DOMAIN_API_MESSAGES["success"]}
+            )
+        else:
+            return JsonResponse(
+                {"available": False, "message": DOMAIN_API_MESSAGES["unavailable"]}
+            )
+    except:
+        raise RegistryError("Registry cannot find domain availability.") 
diff --git a/src/registrar/tests/test_url_auth.py b/src/registrar/tests/test_url_auth.py
index 17ad2c329..2a04e8030 100644
--- a/src/registrar/tests/test_url_auth.py
+++ b/src/registrar/tests/test_url_auth.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ class TestURLAuth(TestCase):
         "/openid/callback",
         "/openid/callback/login/",
         "/openid/callback/logout/",
+        "/api/v1/available"
     ]
 
     def assertURLIsProtectedByAuth(self, url):