diff --git a/src/Exceptions/KubernetesAPIException.php b/src/Exceptions/KubernetesAPIException.php
index 5f23f24..4010ad8 100644
--- a/src/Exceptions/KubernetesAPIException.php
+++ b/src/Exceptions/KubernetesAPIException.php
@@ -2,7 +2,22 @@
 
 namespace RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Exceptions;
 
+use GuzzleHttp\Exception\BadResponseException;
+
 class KubernetesAPIException extends PhpK8sException
 {
-    //
+    public static function from(BadResponseException $exception): self
+    {
+        $response = $exception->getResponse();
+        $body = json_decode((string) $response->getBody(), true);
+        $payload = is_array($body) ? $body : null;
+        $code = $payload['code'] ?? null;
+
+        return new self(
+            $exception->getMessage(),
+            is_int($code) && $code > 0 ? $code : $response->getStatusCode(),
+            $payload,
+            $exception,
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Exceptions/PhpK8sException.php b/src/Exceptions/PhpK8sException.php
index e65a94a..952f0b6 100644
--- a/src/Exceptions/PhpK8sException.php
+++ b/src/Exceptions/PhpK8sException.php
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@
 namespace RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Exceptions;
 
 use Exception;
+use Throwable;
 
 class PhpK8sException extends Exception
 {
     /**
      * Initialize the exception.
      */
-    public function __construct(?string $message = null, int $code = 0, protected ?array $payload = null)
+    public function __construct(?string $message = null, int $code = 0, protected ?array $payload = null, ?Throwable $previous = null)
     {
-        parent::__construct($message, $code);
+        parent::__construct($message ?? '', $code, $previous);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Traits/Cluster/ChecksClusterVersion.php b/src/Traits/Cluster/ChecksClusterVersion.php
index 8514b17..aa8c618 100644
--- a/src/Traits/Cluster/ChecksClusterVersion.php
+++ b/src/Traits/Cluster/ChecksClusterVersion.php
@@ -32,14 +32,8 @@ protected function loadClusterVersion(): void
 
         try {
             $response = $this->getClient()->request('GET', $callableUrl);
-        } catch (ClientException $e) {
-            $payload = json_decode((string) $e->getResponse()->getBody(), true);
-
-            throw new KubernetesAPIException(
-                $e->getMessage(),
-                $payload['code'] ?? 0,
-                $payload
-            );
+        } catch (ClientException $exception) {
+            throw KubernetesAPIException::from($exception);
         }
 
         $json = json_decode($response->getBody(), true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
diff --git a/src/Traits/Cluster/MakesHttpCalls.php b/src/Traits/Cluster/MakesHttpCalls.php
index 675cd45..5b69a67 100644
--- a/src/Traits/Cluster/MakesHttpCalls.php
+++ b/src/Traits/Cluster/MakesHttpCalls.php
@@ -128,14 +128,8 @@ public function call(string $method, string $path, string $payload = '', array $
             }
 
             $response = $this->getClient()->request($method, $this->getCallableUrl($path, $query), $requestOptions);
-        } catch (ClientException $e) {
-            $errorPayload = json_decode((string) $e->getResponse()->getBody(), true);
-
-            throw new KubernetesAPIException(
-                $e->getMessage(),
-                $errorPayload['code'] ?? 0,
-                $errorPayload
-            );
+        } catch (ClientException $exception) {
+            throw KubernetesAPIException::from($exception);
         }
 
         return $response;
diff --git a/tests/ChecksClusterVersionTest.php b/tests/ChecksClusterVersionTest.php
index a31d23c..2f03083 100644
--- a/tests/ChecksClusterVersionTest.php
+++ b/tests/ChecksClusterVersionTest.php
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 namespace RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Test;
 
+use GuzzleHttp\Exception\ClientException;
+use GuzzleHttp\Psr7\Response;
+use RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Exceptions\KubernetesAPIException;
+
 class ChecksClusterVersionTest extends TestCase
 {
     public function test_check_cluster_version(): void
@@ -11,4 +15,20 @@ public function test_check_cluster_version(): void
         $this->assertFalse($this->cluster->newerThan('2.0.0'));
         $this->assertTrue($this->cluster->olderThan('2.0.0'));
     }
+
+    public function test_plain_text_version_error_keeps_http_status_and_chains_guzzle_exception(): void
+    {
+        $cluster = $this->clusterRespondingWith(
+            new Response(403, ['Content-Type' => 'text/plain; charset=utf-8'], "Forbidden\n")
+        );
+
+        try {
+            $cluster->newerThan('1.18.0');
+            $this->fail('Expected a KubernetesAPIException.');
+        } catch (KubernetesAPIException $exception) {
+            $this->assertSame(403, $exception->getCode());
+            $this->assertNull($exception->getPayload());
+            $this->assertInstanceOf(ClientException::class, $exception->getPrevious());
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/MakesHttpCallsIntegrationTest.php b/tests/MakesHttpCallsIntegrationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a2c18e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/MakesHttpCallsIntegrationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Test;
+
+use Exception;
+use RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Exceptions\KubernetesAPIException;
+
+class MakesHttpCallsIntegrationTest extends TestCase
+{
+    #[\Override]
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        if (! getenv('CI') && ! $this->isClusterAvailable()) {
+            $this->markTestSkipped('Integration tests require a live Kubernetes cluster');
+        }
+    }
+
+    private function isClusterAvailable(): bool
+    {
+        try {
+            $this->cluster->getAllNamespaces();
+
+            return true;
+        } catch (Exception) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function test_unserved_api_group_answers_not_found(): void
+    {
+        try {
+            $this->cluster->call('GET', '/apis/unserved.php-k8s.invalid/v1/namespaces/default/widgets/missing');
+            $this->fail('Expected a KubernetesAPIException for an API group the cluster does not serve.');
+        } catch (KubernetesAPIException $exception) {
+            $this->assertSame(404, $exception->getCode());
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/MakesHttpCallsTest.php b/tests/MakesHttpCallsTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c88409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/MakesHttpCallsTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Test;
+
+use GuzzleHttp\Exception\ClientException;
+use GuzzleHttp\Psr7\Response;
+use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
+use RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Exceptions\KubernetesAPIException;
+
+class MakesHttpCallsTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function test_plain_text_error_keeps_http_status_and_chains_guzzle_exception(): void
+    {
+        $exception = $this->failedCall(
+            new Response(404, ['Content-Type' => 'text/plain; charset=utf-8'], "404 page not found\n")
+        );
+
+        $this->assertSame(404, $exception->getCode());
+        $this->assertNull($exception->getPayload());
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(ClientException::class, $exception->getPrevious());
+    }
+
+    public function test_status_body_code_wins_over_http_status(): void
+    {
+        $exception = $this->failedCall(
+            new Response(400, ['Content-Type' => 'application/json'], '{"kind":"Status","apiVersion":"v1","status":"Failure","reason":"Conflict","code":409}')
+        );
+
+        $this->assertSame(409, $exception->getCode());
+        $this->assertSame(
+            ['kind' => 'Status', 'apiVersion' => 'v1', 'status' => 'Failure', 'reason' => 'Conflict', 'code' => 409],
+            $exception->getPayload()
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function test_zero_status_body_code_falls_back_to_http_status(): void
+    {
+        $exception = $this->failedCall(
+            new Response(404, ['Content-Type' => 'application/json'], '{"kind":"Status","apiVersion":"v1","status":"Failure","reason":"NotFound","code":0}')
+        );
+
+        $this->assertSame(404, $exception->getCode());
+        $this->assertSame(
+            ['kind' => 'Status', 'apiVersion' => 'v1', 'status' => 'Failure', 'reason' => 'NotFound', 'code' => 0],
+            $exception->getPayload()
+        );
+    }
+
+    private function failedCall(ResponseInterface $response): KubernetesAPIException
+    {
+        try {
+            $this->clusterRespondingWith($response)->call('GET', '/apis/snapshot.storage.k8s.io/v1/namespaces/default/volumesnapshots/branch');
+        } catch (KubernetesAPIException $exception) {
+            return $exception;
+        }
+
+        $this->fail('Expected a KubernetesAPIException.');
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/TestCase.php b/tests/TestCase.php
index d15c88a..4e2f123 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase.php
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 
 namespace RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Test;
 
+use GuzzleHttp\Client;
+use GuzzleHttp\Handler\MockHandler;
+use GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack;
 use Orchestra\Testbench\TestCase as Orchestra;
+use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
 use RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Exceptions\PhpK8sException;
 use RenokiCo\PhpK8s\Instances\Container;
 use RenokiCo\PhpK8s\K8s;
@@ -191,4 +195,21 @@ protected function createPerlPod(array $options = []): K8sPod
 
         return $pod;
     }
+
+    protected function clusterRespondingWith(ResponseInterface $response): KubernetesCluster
+    {
+        return new class(HandlerStack::create(new MockHandler([$response]))) extends KubernetesCluster
+        {
+            public function __construct(private readonly HandlerStack $handler)
+            {
+                parent::__construct('https://kubernetes.test');
+            }
+
+            #[\Override]
+            public function getClient(): Client
+            {
+                return new Client(['handler' => $this->handler]);
+            }
+        };
+    }
 }