diff --git a/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/source_freshdesk/source.py b/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/source_freshdesk/source.py
index e2ebc32f5e9c..ae73a93d93f1 100644
--- a/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/source_freshdesk/source.py
+++ b/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/source_freshdesk/source.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import logging
 from typing import Any, List, Mapping, Optional, Tuple
 
+import requests
 from airbyte_cdk.sources import AbstractSource
 from airbyte_cdk.sources.streams import Stream
 from requests.auth import HTTPBasicAuth
@@ -55,8 +56,16 @@ def _get_stream_kwargs(config: Mapping[str, Any]) -> dict:
         return {"authenticator": FreshdeskAuth(config["api_key"]), "config": config}
 
     def check_connection(self, logger: logging.Logger, config: Mapping[str, Any]) -> Tuple[bool, Optional[Any]]:
-        stream = Settings(**self._get_stream_kwargs(config=config))
-        return stream.availability_strategy.check_availability(stream, logger, self)
+        try:
+            stream = Settings(**self._get_stream_kwargs(config=config))
+            return stream.availability_strategy.check_availability(stream, logger, self)
+        except requests.HTTPError as error:
+            body = error.response.json()
+            error_msg = f"{body.get('code')}: {body.get('message')}"
+        except Exception as error:
+            error_msg = repr(error)
+
+        return False, error_msg
 
     def streams(self, config: Mapping[str, Any]) -> List[Stream]:
         return [
diff --git a/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/unit_tests/test_source.py b/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/unit_tests/test_source.py
index 3aba345f653e..f07f2ad09a2b 100644
--- a/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/unit_tests/test_source.py
+++ b/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-freshdesk/unit_tests/test_source.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def test_check_connection_invalid_config(config):
     assert not ok and error_msg
 
 
-def test_check_connection_exception(config):
+def test_check_connection_exception(requests_mock, config):
     ok, error_msg = SourceFreshdesk().check_connection(logger, config=config)
 
     assert not ok and error_msg