diff --git a/src/python/zensols/zotsite/app.py b/src/python/zensols/zotsite/app.py
index 5c42bad..90e5521 100644
--- a/src/python/zensols/zotsite/app.py
+++ b/src/python/zensols/zotsite/app.py
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
 import sys
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
-from zensols.cli import ApplicationError
-from . import SiteCreator, CiteDatabase
+from . import ZoteroApplicationError, SiteCreator, CiteDatabase
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ def lookup(self, format: str = '{itemKey}={citationKey}', key: str = None):
             keys = [key]
         for key in keys:
             if key not in entries:
-                raise ApplicationError(
+                raise ZoteroApplicationError(
                     f"No such entry: '{key}' in BetterBibtex database")
             entry: Dict[str, Any] = entries[key]
             if format == 'json':
diff --git a/src/python/zensols/zotsite/cite.py b/src/python/zensols/zotsite/cite.py
index 74c0551..5c8b1fa 100644
--- a/src/python/zensols/zotsite/cite.py
+++ b/src/python/zensols/zotsite/cite.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 
 from typing import Tuple, Dict, Any
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from sqlite3 import OperationalError
 from zensols.db import DbPersister
+from . import ZoteroApplicationError
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -30,5 +32,9 @@ def map_row(r: Tuple[Any, ...]) -> Tuple[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
             data = {'libraryID': r[0], 'itemKey': r[1], 'citationKey': r[2]}
             return key, data
 
-        rows: Tuple[Tuple[str]] = self._persister.execute(self._sql)
+        try:
+            rows: Tuple[Tuple[str]] = self._persister.execute(self._sql)
+        except OperationalError as e:
+            raise ZoteroApplicationError(
+                f'Could not access BetterBibtex database: {e}') from e
         return dict(map(map_row, rows))