diff --git a/cmd/gitmirror/gitmirror.go b/cmd/gitmirror/gitmirror.go
index 3ecf33bc0a..18c4767f02 100644
--- a/cmd/gitmirror/gitmirror.go
+++ b/cmd/gitmirror/gitmirror.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ var httpClient = &http.Client{
 	Timeout: 30 * time.Second, // overkill
 }
 
-var gerritClient = gerrit.NewClient(goBase, gerrit.NoAuth)
+var gerritClient = gerrit.NewClient("https://go-review.googlesource.com", gerrit.NoAuth)
 
 var (
 	// gitLogFn returns the list of unseen Commits on a Repo,
@@ -225,7 +225,11 @@ func runGitMirror() error {
 		go startRepo(name, path, true)
 	}
 	if *mirror {
-		for name := range gerritMetaMap() {
+		gerritRepos, err := gerritMetaMap()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("gerritMetaMap: %v", err)
+		}
+		for name := range gerritRepos {
 			if seen[name] {
 				// Repo already picked up by dashboard list.
 				continue
@@ -1427,7 +1431,12 @@ func repoTickler(repo string) chan bool {
 func pollGerritAndTickle() {
 	last := map[string]string{} // repo -> last seen hash
 	for {
-		for repo, hash := range gerritMetaMap() {
+		gerritRepos, err := gerritMetaMap()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("pollGerritAndTickle: gerritMetaMap failed, skipping: %v", err)
+			gerritRepos = nil
+		}
+		for repo, hash := range gerritRepos {
 			if hash != last[repo] {
 				last[repo] = hash
 				select {
@@ -1493,13 +1502,12 @@ func subscribeToMaintnerAndTickle() error {
 
 // gerritMetaMap returns the map from repo name (e.g. "go") to its
 // latest master hash.
-// The returned map is nil on any transient error.
-func gerritMetaMap() map[string]string {
+func gerritMetaMap() (map[string]string, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 	meta, err := gerritClient.GetProjects(ctx, "master")
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("gerritClient.GetProjects: %v", err)
 	}
 	m := map[string]string{}
 	for repo, v := range meta {
@@ -1507,7 +1515,7 @@ func gerritMetaMap() map[string]string {
 			m[repo] = master
 		}
 	}
-	return m
+	return m, nil
 }
 
 func (r *Repo) getLocalRefs() (map[string]string, error) {
diff --git a/gerrit/gerrit.go b/gerrit/gerrit.go
index 91d2cdfa1a..ec53276cfc 100644
--- a/gerrit/gerrit.go
+++ b/gerrit/gerrit.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 // Client is a Gerrit client.
 type Client struct {
-	url  string // URL prefix, e.g. "https://go-review.googlesource.com/a" (without trailing slash)
+	url  string // URL prefix, e.g. "https://go-review.googlesource.com" (without trailing slash)
 	auth Auth
 
 	// HTTPClient optionally specifies an HTTP client to use
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ type Client struct {
 
 // NewClient returns a new Gerrit client with the given URL prefix
 // and authentication mode.
-// The url should be just the scheme and hostname.
+// The url should be just the scheme and hostname. For example, "https://go-review.googlesource.com".
 // If auth is nil, a default is used, or requests are made unauthenticated.
 func NewClient(url string, auth Auth) *Client {
 	if auth == nil {
diff --git a/maintner/maintnerd/maintapi/api.go b/maintner/maintnerd/maintapi/api.go
index 39b9692817..f5a1538ba6 100644
--- a/maintner/maintnerd/maintapi/api.go
+++ b/maintner/maintnerd/maintapi/api.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ var tryCache struct {
 	val           *apipb.GoFindTryWorkResponse
 }
 
-var tryBotGerrit = gerrit.NewClient("https://go-review.googlesource.com/", gerrit.NoAuth)
+var tryBotGerrit = gerrit.NewClient("https://go-review.googlesource.com", gerrit.NoAuth)
 
 func (s apiService) GoFindTryWork(ctx context.Context, req *apipb.GoFindTryWorkRequest) (*apipb.GoFindTryWorkResponse, error) {
 	tryCache.Lock()
diff --git a/maintner/maintnerd/maintnerd.go b/maintner/maintnerd/maintnerd.go
index 57f8303b42..6667ec26f4 100644
--- a/maintner/maintnerd/maintnerd.go
+++ b/maintner/maintnerd/maintnerd.go
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ func setGoConfig() {
 	*pubsub = "https://pubsubhelper.golang.org"
 	*watchGithub = strings.Join(goGitHubProjects, ",")
 
-	gerrc := gerrit.NewClient("https://go-review.googlesource.com/", gerrit.NoAuth)
+	gerrc := gerrit.NewClient("https://go-review.googlesource.com", gerrit.NoAuth)
 	projs, err := gerrc.ListProjects(context.Background())
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("error listing Go's gerrit projects: %v", err)