diff --git a/vscode-extensions/commons/commons-cf/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/commons/cloudfoundry/client/cftarget/CfCliParamsProvider.java b/vscode-extensions/commons/commons-cf/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/commons/cloudfoundry/client/cftarget/CfCliParamsProvider.java
index 2d1770505..fa6ca2e29 100644
--- a/vscode-extensions/commons/commons-cf/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/commons/cloudfoundry/client/cftarget/CfCliParamsProvider.java
+++ b/vscode-extensions/commons/commons-cf/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/commons/cloudfoundry/client/cftarget/CfCliParamsProvider.java
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public class CfCliParamsProvider implements ClientParamsProvider {
 	 */
 	@Override
 	public String noParamsAvailableMessage() {
-		return "No Cloud Foundry targets. Please use cf CLI to configure and login to a Cloud Foundry target.";
+		return "No valid Cloud Foundry connection found. Please use cf CLI to configure and login to Cloud Foundry.";
 	}
 
 	private File getConfigJsonFile() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
diff --git a/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/AbstractCFHintsProvider.java b/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/AbstractCFHintsProvider.java
index 551e9db43..0cc883d1b 100644
--- a/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/AbstractCFHintsProvider.java
+++ b/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/AbstractCFHintsProvider.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
  *******************************************************************************/
 package org.springframework.ide.vscode.manifest.yaml;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -40,30 +41,28 @@ public abstract class AbstractCFHintsProvider implements Provider<Collection<YVa
 	@Override
 	public Collection<YValueHint> get() {
 		Collection<YValueHint> hints = new ArrayList<>();
-		List<CFTarget> targets = null;
+		// TODO: Probably not the most ideal thing to do, but for now show any
+		// CF errors
+		// in the CA UI, as well as cases where there are no targets
 		try {
-			targets = targetsFactory.getTargets();
-		} catch (Throwable e) {
-			// Don't throw exception. Just log, and instead show a "no targets"
-			// hint below
-			logger.log(Level.SEVERE, e.getMessage(), e);
-		}
-
-		if (targets == null || targets.isEmpty()) {
-			// TODO: Probably a wrong thing to do, but for now show that
-			// there are
-			// no targets as a "hint" so that it appears
-			// in CA UI
-			hints.add(new BasicYValueHint(EMPTY_VALUE, targetsFactory.noTargetsMessage()));
-		} else {
-			try {
+			List<CFTarget> targets = targetsFactory.getTargets();
+			if (targets == null || targets.isEmpty()) {
+				hints.add(new BasicYValueHint(EMPTY_VALUE, targetsFactory.noTargetsMessage()));
+			} else {
 				Collection<YValueHint> resolvedHints = getHints(targets);
 				hints.addAll(resolvedHints);
-			} catch (Exception e) {
-				throw ExceptionUtil.unchecked(e);
+			}
+		} catch (Throwable e) {
+			logger.log(Level.SEVERE, e.getMessage(), e);
+			// Don't throw exception as to allow the CA to be displayed to the
+			// user.
+			if (e instanceof IOException || ExceptionUtil.getDeepestCause(e) instanceof IOException) {
+				hints.add(new BasicYValueHint(EMPTY_VALUE, "Connection failure. " + targetsFactory.noTargetsMessage()));
+			} else {
+				hints.add(new BasicYValueHint(EMPTY_VALUE,
+						"Unable to fetch Cloud Foundry proposals due to:  " + e.getMessage()));
 			}
 		}
-
 		return hints;
 	}
 
diff --git a/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java b/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java
index fed914478..88aa4bb89 100644
--- a/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java
+++ b/vscode-extensions/vscode-manifest-yaml/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/manifest/yaml/ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider.java
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ public class ManifestYamlCFBuildpacksProvider extends AbstractCFHintsProvider {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
+		if (hints.isEmpty()) {
+			hints.add(new BasicYValueHint(EMPTY_VALUE, "No buildpacks found. " + targetsFactory.noTargetsMessage()));
+		}
 		return hints;
 	}