diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/LicenseList.java b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/LicenseList.java
index 2e3e51b78..f3c6e7c6a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/LicenseList.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/LicenseList.java
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ public class LicenseList {
     }
 
     public String nameForTemplate(String template) {
-        Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: template: " + template);
+        //Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: template: " + template);
         String stringId = nameIdForTemplate(template);
-        Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: stringId: " + stringId);
+        //Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: stringId: " + stringId);
         int nameId = stringIdByName(stringId);
-        Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: nameId: " + nameId);
+        //Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: nameId: " + nameId);
         if(nameId != 0) {
             String name = res.getString(nameId);
-            Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: name: " + name);
+            //Log.d("Commons", "LicenseList.nameForTemplate: name: " + name);
             return name;
         }
         return template;
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/MethodAUpdater.java b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/MethodAUpdater.java
index 816f0c34e..54f6771fb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/MethodAUpdater.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/MethodAUpdater.java
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ public class MethodAUpdater extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, ArrayList<String>> {
                     .get();
             Log.d(TAG, "Method A URL filter" + result.toString());
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            Log.e(TAG, "IO Exception: ", e);
+            //Return empty arraylist
+            return categories;
         }
 
         ArrayList<ApiResult> categoryNodes = result.getNodes("/api/query/search/p/@title");
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/PrefixUpdater.java b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/PrefixUpdater.java
index a984f1a72..71d739e63 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/PrefixUpdater.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/fr/free/nrw/commons/category/PrefixUpdater.java
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import org.mediawiki.api.MWApi;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLPeerUnverifiedException;
+
 import fr.free.nrw.commons.CommonsApplication;
 
 /**
@@ -63,7 +65,9 @@ public class PrefixUpdater extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, ArrayList<String>> {
                     .get();
             Log.d(TAG, "Prefix URL filter" + result.toString());
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            Log.e(TAG, "IO Exception: ", e);
+            //Return empty arraylist
+            return categories;
         }
 
         ArrayList<ApiResult> categoryNodes = result.getNodes("/api/query/allcategories/c");