diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index a6da7c4..fd1d841 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,17 +1,22 @@
 ubuntu-dev-tools (0.43ubuntu1) intrepid; urgency=low
 
-  [Jonathan Patrick Davies]
+  [ Jonathan Patrick Davies ]
   * common.py:
     - If loading a cookie file raises an exception exit. 
     - Improve cookie file writing.
+  * requestsync: Return an error when the script is unable to connect to
+    packages.debian.org (LP: #261916).
 
-  [Ryan Kavanagh]
+  [ Ryan Kavanagh ]
   * dgetlp.1: New manpage
   * dgetlp: fix typo in usage
   * hugdaylist.1: New manpage
   * s/requestsync/pull-lp-source/g in doc/pull-lp-source.1
   * mk-sbuild-lv.1: New manpage
 
+  [ Karl Goetz ]
+  * Add a Recommends: on ca-certificates (LP: #247157).
+
  -- Ryan Kavanagh <ryanakca@kubuntu.org>  Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:51:15 -0400
 
 ubuntu-dev-tools (0.42ubuntu1) intrepid; urgency=low
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index bd300e0..0512eb3 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ Package: ubuntu-dev-tools
 Architecture: all
 Section: devel
 Depends: ${python:Depends}, binutils, devscripts, sudo, python-launchpad-bugs (>= 0.2.25), python-debian, dctrl-tools, lsb-release, diffstat, dpkg-dev
-Recommends: bzr, pbuilder | sbuild, reportbug (>= 3.39ubuntu1)
+Recommends: bzr, pbuilder | sbuild, reportbug (>= 3.39ubuntu1),
+  ca-certificates
 Conflicts: devscripts (<< 2.10.7ubuntu5)
 Replaces: devscripts (<< 2.10.7ubuntu5)
 XB-Python-Version: ${python:Versions}
diff --git a/requestsync b/requestsync
index 66edaa9..304b25f 100755
--- a/requestsync
+++ b/requestsync
@@ -134,9 +134,19 @@ def debian_changelog(sourcepkg, component, version):
 
     ch = ''
     subdir = sourcepkg[0]
+
     if sourcepkg.startswith('lib'):
         subdir = 'lib%s' % sourcepkg[3]
-    for l in urllib.urlopen('http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/%s/%s/%s/current/changelog.txt' % (component, subdir, sourcepkg)):
+
+    # Get the debian/changelog file from packages.debian.org.
+    try:
+        debianChangelogPage = urllib2.urlopen('http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/%s/%s/%s/current/changelog.txt' % (component, subdir, sourcepkg))
+    except urllib2.HTTPError, error:
+        print >> sys.stderr, "Unable to connect to packages.debian.org. " \
+            "Received a %s." % error.code
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    for l in debianChangelogPage:
         if l.startswith(sourcepkg):
             ch_version = l[ l.find("(")+1 : l.find(")") ]
             if Version(ch_version) <= base_version: