diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js b/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js
index 4a7607edf..25ffa9b50 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/repositories/repository_datatable.js
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ var RepositoryDatatable = (function(global) {
   // Tells whether we're currently viewing or editing table
   var currentMode = 'viewMode';
 
-  // var selectedRecord;
-
   // Extend datatables API with searchable options
   // (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/39912395/datatables-dynamically-set-columns-searchable)
   $.fn.dataTable.Api.register('isColumnSearchable()', function(colSelector) {
@@ -419,13 +417,7 @@ var RepositoryDatatable = (function(global) {
           return JSON.stringify(d);
         },
         global: false,
-        type: 'POST',
-        error: function(e) {
-          $('#filtersDropdownButton').removeClass('active-filters');
-          $('#saveRepositoryFilters').addClass('hidden');
-          $('.repository-table-error').addClass('active').html(e.responseJSON.error);
-          animateSpinner(null, false);
-        }
+        type: 'POST'
       },
       columnDefs: [{
         // Checkbox column needs special handling
@@ -613,6 +605,20 @@ var RepositoryDatatable = (function(global) {
       $(this).parent().find('.repository-row-selector').trigger('click');
     });
 
+    // Handling of special errors
+    $(TABLE_ID).on('xhr.dt', function(e, settings, json) {
+      if (json.custom_error) {
+        json.data = [];
+        json.recordsFiltered = 0;
+        json.recordsTotal = 0;
+        TABLE.one('draw', function() {
+          $('#filtersDropdownButton').removeClass('active-filters');
+          $('#saveRepositoryFilters').addClass('hidden');
+          $('.repository-table-error').addClass('active').text(json.custom_error);
+        });
+      }
+    })
+
     initRowSelection();
     bindExportActions();
     $(window).resize(() => {
diff --git a/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb b/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb
index 70c6e0415..41fa67041 100644
--- a/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/repository_rows_controller.rb
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ class RepositoryRowsController < ApplicationController
 
     @repository_rows = @repository_rows.where(archived: params[:archived]) unless @repository.archived?
   rescue RepositoryFilters::ColumnNotFoundException
-    render json: { error: I18n.t('repositories.show.repository_filter.errors.column_not_found') }, status: :not_found
+    render json: { custom_error: I18n.t('repositories.show.repository_filter.errors.column_not_found') }
   rescue RepositoryFilters::ValueNotFoundException
-    render json: { error: I18n.t('repositories.show.repository_filter.errors.value_not_found') }, status: :not_found
+    render json: { custom_error: I18n.t('repositories.show.repository_filter.errors.value_not_found') }
   end
 
   def create
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 986884446..a7ca2e4ff 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ en:
       filter_inventory_items: "Filter items"
       no_items: "No items here"
 
-      no_items_matched: "No items matched your search request"
+      no_items_matched: "No items here"
       no_archived_items: "No archived items here"
       no_archived_items_matched: "No archived items matched your search request"
       error_searching: "Error searching, please try again"