diff --git a/tools/rent_a_relic/mcp_integration.py b/tools/rent_a_relic/mcp_integration.py
index 67eb6cfd2..517ba3af7 100644
--- a/tools/rent_a_relic/mcp_integration.py
+++ b/tools/rent_a_relic/mcp_integration.py
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ def _handle_reserve(self, msg: dict, beacon_id: str) -> dict:
             body = {}
             try:
                 body = _response_json_object(exc.response)
-            except Exception:
+            except (json.JSONDecodeError, AttributeError, TypeError):
+                # Response body isn't valid JSON — fall back to generic error string
                 pass
             return self._error_response(beacon_id, body.get("error", str(exc)))