diff --git a/backend/models/books.js b/backend/models/books.js
index 4a40d87..fb1269b 100644
--- a/backend/models/books.js
+++ b/backend/models/books.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const mongoose = require("@utils/mongoose");
 const id = require("@utils/id");
 const spineWidth = require("@utils/spine-width");
 
-const userSchema = mongoose.Schema({
+const schema = mongoose.Schema({
     bookId: {
         type: String,
         default: () => id(),
@@ -23,18 +23,18 @@ const userSchema = mongoose.Schema({
     cover: { type: String },
     coverColors: { type: Array },
     ebook: { type: Object },
-    pages: { type: Number, default: 0 },
+    pages: { type: Number, default: 0, set: (v) => (Number.isNaN(v) ? 0 : v) },
     hardback: { type: Boolean, default: false },
     comments: [{ body: String, date: Date, user: String }],
     lastUpdated: { type: Date, type: Date, default: () => new Date() },
     order: { type: Number, required: true, default: 0 },
 });
 
-userSchema.virtual("width").get(function () {
+schema.virtual("width").get(function () {
     return spineWidth(this.pages, this.hardback);
 });
 
-userSchema.set("toJSON", { virtuals: true });
-userSchema.set("toObject", { virtuals: true });
+schema.set("toJSON", { virtuals: true });
+schema.set("toObject", { virtuals: true });
 
-module.exports = mongoose.model("books", userSchema);
+module.exports = mongoose.model("books", schema);
diff --git a/backend/utils/fetch-retry.js b/backend/utils/fetch-retry.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6784256
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/utils/fetch-retry.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+const logger = require("@utils/logger")(module);
+
+const fetchRetry = async (
+    url,
+    options = {},
+    { retries = 3, retryDelay = 500 } = {}
+) => {
+    let lastError;
+
+    for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= retries; attempt++) {
+        let response;
+        try {
+            response = await fetch(url, options);
+            logger.debug(
+                `Request attempt ${attempt + 1} for ${url} returned status ${response.status}`
+            );
+            if (response.status >= 500 && response.status < 600) {
+                throw new Error(`Server error: ${response.status}`);
+            }
+
+            return response;
+        } catch (err) {
+            lastError = err;
+
+            if (attempt >= retries) {
+                return response;
+            }
+
+            await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, retryDelay));
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+module.exports = fetchRetry;
diff --git a/backend/utils/metadata-google.js b/backend/utils/metadata-google.js
index 901d2e3..1c13495 100644
--- a/backend/utils/metadata-google.js
+++ b/backend/utils/metadata-google.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const logger = require("@utils/logger")(module);
 const getImage = require("@utils/image-get");
+const fetchRetry = require("@utils/fetch-retry");
 
 module.exports = async (isbn) => {
     let data = {};
@@ -9,14 +10,29 @@ module.exports = async (isbn) => {
 
     try {
         if (isbn) {
-            const response = await fetch(
+            const response = await fetchRetry(
                 `https://www.googleapis.com/books/v1/volumes?q=isbn:${isbn}`
             );
+            if (!response.ok) {
+                logger.warn(
+                    `Google books API request for ${isbn} returned status ${response.status}`
+                );
+                return {};
+            }
             data = await response.json();
+        } else {
+            logger.warn(`Google books API request no ISBN provided`);
+            return {};
         }
 
-        const book = data?.items[0];
+        if (!data?.items || data?.items?.length === 0) {
+            logger.warn(
+                `Google books API request for ${isbn} returned no results`
+            );
+            return {};
+        }
 
+        const book = data?.items[0];
         logger.info(`Google books API request for ${isbn}`);
         logger.debug(JSON.stringify(book, undefined, 4));
 
diff --git a/backend/utils/metadata-openlibrary.js b/backend/utils/metadata-openlibrary.js
index 4b1fcd8..3172a64 100644
--- a/backend/utils/metadata-openlibrary.js
+++ b/backend/utils/metadata-openlibrary.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const logger = require("@utils/logger")(module);
 const getImage = require("@utils/image-get");
+const fetchRetry = require("@utils/fetch-retry");
 
 module.exports = async (isbn) => {
     let data = {};
@@ -10,10 +11,19 @@ module.exports = async (isbn) => {
 
     try {
         if (isbn) {
-            const response = await fetch(
+            const response = await fetchRetry(
                 `https://openlibrary.org/isbn/${isbn}.json`
             );
+            if (!response.ok) {
+                logger.warn(
+                    `Open library API request for ${isbn} returned status ${response.status}`
+                );
+                return {};
+            }
             data = await response.json();
+        } else {
+            logger.warn(`Open library API request no ISBN provided`);
+            return {};
         }
 
         if (data?.covers) {