diff --git a/src/__tests__/fetch-utils.spec.ts b/src/__tests__/fetch-utils.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67a453f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/fetch-utils.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { parseReleaseVersions } from '../hooks/fetch-release-versions'
+import { getFetchErrorState } from '../hooks/fetch-utils'
+
+describe('parseReleaseVersions', () => {
+  it('keeps valid semver release entries and drops invalid upstream payload lines', () => {
+    expect(
+      parseReleaseVersions(
+        ['0.85.0', '0.84.1', '404: Not Found', '', ' main'].join('\n')
+      )
+    ).toEqual(['0.85.0', '0.84.1'])
+  })
+})
+
+describe('getFetchErrorState', () => {
+  it('turns failed HTTP responses into a user-facing error state', () => {
+    const response = new Response('Not Found', {
+      status: 404,
+      statusText: 'Not Found',
+    })
+
+    expect(
+      getFetchErrorState({
+        title: 'Could not load upstream content',
+        error: response,
+        url: 'https://example.com/RELEASES',
+      })
+    ).toEqual({
+      title: 'Could not load upstream content',
+      description: 'Request failed with 404 Not Found.',
+      status: 404,
+      url: 'https://example.com/RELEASES',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps thrown error messages visible for invalid upstream payloads', () => {
+    expect(
+      getFetchErrorState({
+        title: 'Could not parse upstream content',
+        error: new Error(
+          'The upstream release list did not contain any valid semver versions.'
+        ),
+        url: 'https://example.com/RELEASES',
+      })
+    ).toEqual({
+      title: 'Could not parse upstream content',
+      description:
+        'The upstream release list did not contain any valid semver versions.',
+      url: 'https://example.com/RELEASES',
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/components/common/DiffViewer.tsx b/src/components/common/DiffViewer.tsx
index cb3bbec6..612e3fb9 100644
--- a/src/components/common/DiffViewer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/common/DiffViewer.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import UsefulContentSection from './UsefulContentSection'
 import BinaryDownload from './BinaryDownload'
 import ViewStyleOptions from './Diff/DiffViewStyleOptions'
 import CompletedFilesCounter from './CompletedFilesCounter'
+import FetchErrorAlert from './FetchErrorAlert'
 import { useFetchDiff } from '../../hooks/fetch-diff'
 import type { Theme } from '../../theme'
 import type { File } from 'gitdiff-parser'
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ const DiffViewer = ({
   appName,
   appPackage,
 }: DiffViewerProps) => {
-  const { isLoading, isDone, diff } = useFetchDiff({
+  const { isLoading, isDone, diff, error, retry } = useFetchDiff({
     shouldShowDiff,
     packageName,
     language,
@@ -192,6 +193,14 @@ const DiffViewer = ({
     )
   }
 
+  if (error) {
+    return (
+      <Container>
+        <FetchErrorAlert error={error} onRetry={retry} />
+      </Container>
+    )
+  }
+
   const diffSectionProps = {
     diff: diff,
     getDiffKey: getDiffKey,
diff --git a/src/components/common/FetchErrorAlert.tsx b/src/components/common/FetchErrorAlert.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..815caf40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/common/FetchErrorAlert.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import React from 'react'
+import { Alert, Button, Typography } from 'antd'
+import type { FetchErrorState } from '../../hooks/fetch-utils'
+
+const { Text } = Typography
+
+const buildDescription = (error: FetchErrorState) => (
+  <div>
+    <div>{error.description}</div>
+    {error.url && (
+      <Text type="secondary" copyable={{ text: error.url }}>
+        {error.url}
+      </Text>
+    )}
+  </div>
+)
+
+const FetchErrorAlert = ({
+  error,
+  onRetry,
+}: {
+  error: FetchErrorState
+  onRetry: () => void
+}) => (
+  <Alert
+    type="error"
+    showIcon
+    message={error.title}
+    description={buildDescription(error)}
+    action={<Button onClick={onRetry}>Retry</Button>}
+  />
+)
+
+export default FetchErrorAlert
diff --git a/src/components/common/VersionSelector.tsx b/src/components/common/VersionSelector.tsx
index c138a712..c90fd91f 100644
--- a/src/components/common/VersionSelector.tsx
+++ b/src/components/common/VersionSelector.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import semver from 'semver/preload'
 import queryString from 'query-string'
 import { Select } from '.'
 import UpgradeButton from './UpgradeButton'
+import FetchErrorAlert from './FetchErrorAlert'
 import { useFetchReleaseVersions } from '../../hooks/fetch-release-versions'
 import { updateURL } from '../../utils/update-url'
 import { deviceSizes } from '../../utils/device-sizes'
@@ -234,9 +235,10 @@ const VersionSelector = ({
   appPackage: string
   appName?: string
 }) => {
-  const { isLoading, isDone, releaseVersions } = useFetchReleaseVersions({
-    packageName,
-  })
+  const { isLoading, isDone, releaseVersions, error, retry } =
+    useFetchReleaseVersions({
+      packageName,
+    })
   const [allVersions, setAllVersions] = useState<string[]>([])
   const [fromVersionList, setFromVersionList] = useState<string[]>([])
   const [toVersionList, setToVersionList] = useState<string[]>([])
@@ -308,11 +310,12 @@ const VersionSelector = ({
       setHasVersionsFromURL(!!doesHaveVersionsInURL)
     }
 
-    if (isDone) {
+    if (isDone && !error) {
       fetchVersions()
     }
   }, [
     isDone,
+    error,
     releaseVersions,
     setLocalFromVersion,
     setLocalToVersion,
@@ -403,7 +406,11 @@ const VersionSelector = ({
         />
       </Selectors>
 
-      <UpgradeButton ref={upgradeButtonEl} onShowDiff={onShowDiff} />
+      {error ? (
+        <FetchErrorAlert error={error} onRetry={retry} />
+      ) : (
+        <UpgradeButton ref={upgradeButtonEl} onShowDiff={onShowDiff} />
+      )}
     </Fragment>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/fetch-diff.ts b/src/hooks/fetch-diff.ts
index b59aa536..cc552c66 100644
--- a/src/hooks/fetch-diff.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/fetch-diff.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 import { parseDiff } from 'react-diff-view'
 import type { File } from 'gitdiff-parser'
 import { getDiffURL } from '../utils'
+import {
+  fetchText,
+  getFetchErrorState,
+  type FetchErrorState,
+} from './fetch-utils'
 
 const delay = (ms: number) => new Promise((res) => setTimeout(res, ms))
 
@@ -25,35 +30,68 @@ export const useFetchDiff = ({
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState<boolean>(true)
   const [isDone, setIsDone] = useState<boolean>(false)
   const [diff, setDiff] = useState<File[]>([])
+  const [error, setError] = useState<FetchErrorState | null>(null)
+  const [retryCount, setRetryCount] = useState<number>(0)
+
+  const retry = () =>
+    setRetryCount((currentRetryCount) => currentRetryCount + 1)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const fetchDiff = async () => {
+      const diffURL = getDiffURL({
+        packageName,
+        language,
+        fromVersion,
+        toVersion,
+      })
+
       setIsLoading(true)
       setIsDone(false)
+      setError(null)
 
-      const [response] = await Promise.all([
-        fetch(getDiffURL({ packageName, language, fromVersion, toVersion })),
-        delay(300),
-      ])
-
-      const diff = await response.text()
-
-      setDiff(movePackageJsonToTop(parseDiff(diff)))
+      try {
+        const [diffText] = await Promise.all([fetchText(diffURL), delay(300)])
+        const parsedDiff = parseDiff(diffText)
 
-      setIsLoading(false)
-      setIsDone(true)
+        if (parsedDiff.length === 0) {
+          throw new Error(
+            'The upstream diff file was empty or could not be parsed into file changes.'
+          )
+        }
 
-      return
+        setDiff(movePackageJsonToTop(parsedDiff))
+      } catch (error) {
+        setDiff([])
+        setError(
+          getFetchErrorState({
+            title: 'Could not load this upgrade diff',
+            error,
+            url: diffURL,
+          })
+        )
+      } finally {
+        setIsLoading(false)
+        setIsDone(true)
+      }
     }
 
     if (shouldShowDiff) {
       fetchDiff()
     }
-  }, [shouldShowDiff, packageName, language, fromVersion, toVersion])
+  }, [
+    shouldShowDiff,
+    packageName,
+    language,
+    fromVersion,
+    toVersion,
+    retryCount,
+  ])
 
   return {
     isLoading,
     isDone,
     diff,
+    error,
+    retry,
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/fetch-release-versions.ts b/src/hooks/fetch-release-versions.ts
index 702ae87c..22a275f3 100644
--- a/src/hooks/fetch-release-versions.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/fetch-release-versions.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import semver from 'semver/preload'
 import { getReleasesFileURL } from '../utils'
+import {
+  fetchText,
+  getFetchErrorState,
+  type FetchErrorState,
+} from './fetch-utils'
+
+export const parseReleaseVersions = (releaseVersionsText: string): string[] =>
+  releaseVersionsText
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((releaseVersion) => releaseVersion.trim())
+    .filter((releaseVersion) => semver.valid(releaseVersion))
 
 export const useFetchReleaseVersions = ({
   packageName,
@@ -9,32 +21,54 @@ export const useFetchReleaseVersions = ({
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState<boolean>(true)
   const [isDone, setIsDone] = useState<boolean>(false)
   const [releaseVersions, setReleaseVersions] = useState<string[]>([])
+  const [error, setError] = useState<FetchErrorState | null>(null)
+  const [retryCount, setRetryCount] = useState<number>(0)
+
+  const retry = () =>
+    setRetryCount((currentRetryCount) => currentRetryCount + 1)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const fetchReleaseVersions = async () => {
+      const releasesFileURL = getReleasesFileURL({ packageName })
+
       setIsLoading(true)
       setIsDone(false)
+      setError(null)
 
-      const response = await fetch(getReleasesFileURL({ packageName }))
-
-      const releaseVersions = (await response.text())
-        .split('\n')
-        .filter(Boolean)
-
-      setReleaseVersions(releaseVersions)
+      try {
+        const releaseVersionsText = await fetchText(releasesFileURL)
+        const releaseVersions = parseReleaseVersions(releaseVersionsText)
 
-      setIsLoading(false)
-      setIsDone(true)
+        if (releaseVersions.length === 0) {
+          throw new Error(
+            'The upstream release list did not contain any valid semver versions.'
+          )
+        }
 
-      return
+        setReleaseVersions(releaseVersions)
+      } catch (error) {
+        setReleaseVersions([])
+        setError(
+          getFetchErrorState({
+            title: 'Could not load React Native versions',
+            error,
+            url: releasesFileURL,
+          })
+        )
+      } finally {
+        setIsLoading(false)
+        setIsDone(true)
+      }
     }
 
     fetchReleaseVersions()
-  }, [packageName])
+  }, [packageName, retryCount])
 
   return {
     isLoading,
     isDone,
     releaseVersions,
+    error,
+    retry,
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/fetch-utils.ts b/src/hooks/fetch-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b797af4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/fetch-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+export interface FetchErrorState {
+  title: string
+  description: string
+  status?: number
+  url?: string
+}
+
+export const getFetchErrorState = ({
+  title,
+  error,
+  url,
+}: {
+  title: string
+  error: unknown
+  url: string
+}): FetchErrorState => {
+  if (error instanceof Response) {
+    return {
+      title,
+      description: `Request failed with ${error.status} ${error.statusText}.`,
+      status: error.status,
+      url,
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (error instanceof Error) {
+    return {
+      title,
+      description: error.message,
+      url,
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    title,
+    description: 'An unexpected error occurred while loading upstream data.',
+    url,
+  }
+}
+
+export const fetchText = async (url: string): Promise<string> => {
+  const response = await fetch(url)
+
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    throw response
+  }
+
+  return response.text()
+}