diff --git a/telegram/bot.py b/telegram/bot.py
index 792ae14b6..afbdf341f 100644
--- a/telegram/bot.py
+++ b/telegram/bot.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class Bot(TelegramObject):
             url, data = func(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
             if not data.get('chat_id'):
-                raise TelegramError('Invalid chat_id.')
+                raise TelegramError('Invalid chat_id')
 
             if kwargs.get('reply_to_message_id'):
                 reply_to_message_id = kwargs.get('reply_to_message_id')
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ class Bot(TelegramObject):
 
         if filename:
             data['filename'] = filename
-            
+
         return url, data
 
     @log
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class Bot(TelegramObject):
 
         data = {'chat_id': chat_id,
                 'sticker': sticker}
-            
+
         return url, data
 
     @log
diff --git a/telegram/error.py b/telegram/error.py
index fdbc00319..f8b7e21f2 100644
--- a/telegram/error.py
+++ b/telegram/error.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 """This module contains a object that represents a Telegram Error"""
 
+import re
+
 
 class TelegramError(Exception):
     """This object represents a Telegram Error."""
@@ -29,7 +31,11 @@ class TelegramError(Exception):
         """
         super(TelegramError, self).__init__()
 
-        self.message = message.split(':')[-1].strip().capitalize()
+        api_error = re.match(r'^Error: (?P<message>.*)', message)
+        if api_error:
+            self.message = api_error.group('message').capitalize()
+        else:
+            self.message = message
 
     def __str__(self):
         return '%s' % (self.message)
diff --git a/telegram/inputfile.py b/telegram/inputfile.py
index f86406c48..0946f9724 100644
--- a/telegram/inputfile.py
+++ b/telegram/inputfile.py
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class InputFile(object):
         if image:
             return 'image/%s' % image
 
-        raise TelegramError({'message': 'Could not parse file content'})
+        raise TelegramError('Could not parse file content')
 
     @staticmethod
     def is_inputfile(data):
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ class InputFile(object):
             bool
         """
         if data:
-            file_types = ['audio', 'document', 'photo', 'sticker', 'video', 
+            file_types = ['audio', 'document', 'photo', 'sticker', 'video',
                           'voice', 'certificate']
             file_type = [i for i in list(data.keys()) if i in file_types]
 
diff --git a/telegram/utils/request.py b/telegram/utils/request.py
index be0593cbd..54aabac96 100644
--- a/telegram/utils/request.py
+++ b/telegram/utils/request.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-# pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
+# pylint: disable=no-name-in-module,unused-import
 #
 # A library that provides a Python interface to the Telegram Bot API
 # Copyright (C) 2015 Leandro Toledo de Souza <leandrotoeldodesouza@gmail.com>
@@ -44,13 +44,10 @@ def _parse(json_data):
     Returns:
       A JSON parsed as Python dict with results.
     """
-    try:
-        data = json.loads(json_data.decode())
+    data = json.loads(json_data.decode())
 
-        if not data.get('ok') and data.get('description'):
-            return data['description']
-    except ValueError:
-        raise TelegramError({'message': 'JSON decoding'})
+    if not data.get('ok') and data.get('description'):
+        return data['description']
 
     return data['result']
 
@@ -84,20 +81,21 @@ def post(url,
     try:
         if InputFile.is_inputfile(data):
             data = InputFile(data)
-            request = Request(url, data=data.to_form(), 
-                                   headers=data.headers)
+            request = Request(url,
+                              data=data.to_form(),
+                              headers=data.headers)
         else:
             data = json.dumps(data)
-            request = Request(url, data=data.encode(), 
-                                   headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json'})
+            request = Request(url,
+                              data=data.encode(),
+                              headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json'})
 
         result = urlopen(request).read()
     except HTTPError as error:
+        if error.getcode() == 403:
+            raise TelegramError('Unauthorized')
+
         message = _parse(error.read())
         raise TelegramError(message)
-    except URLError as error:
-        raise TelegramError(str(error))
-    except IOError as error:
-        raise TelegramError(str(error))
 
     return _parse(result)