diff --git a/esp/services/ws_store/espstorelib/daliKVStore.cpp b/esp/services/ws_store/espstorelib/daliKVStore.cpp
index 9e7774b578c..cc45f00ce40 100644
--- a/esp/services/ws_store/espstorelib/daliKVStore.cpp
+++ b/esp/services/ws_store/espstorelib/daliKVStore.cpp
@@ -473,15 +473,11 @@ bool CDALIKVStore::fetch(const char * storename, const char * ns, const char * k
         encodePTreeName(encodedKey, key);
         xpath.appendf("/%s", encodedKey.str());
         if(!storetree->hasProp(xpath.str()))
-        {
-            throw makeStringExceptionV(ECLWATCH_INVALID_QUERY_KEY, "DALI Keystore fetch: invalid key '%s' detected!", key);
-        }
+            return false;
         else
-        {
             value.set(storetree->queryProp(xpath.str()));
-        }
 
-        return value.str();
+        return true;
     }
     else
         throw makeStringException(-1, "DALI Keystore fetch: Key not provided!");
diff --git a/esp/services/ws_store/ws_storeService.cpp b/esp/services/ws_store/ws_storeService.cpp
index c9fd66c20ed..24b9dfea8fb 100644
--- a/esp/services/ws_store/ws_storeService.cpp
+++ b/esp/services/ws_store/ws_storeService.cpp
@@ -313,25 +313,11 @@ bool CwsstoreEx::onFetch(IEspContext &context, IEspFetchRequest &req, IEspFetchR
             storename = m_defaultStore.get();
     }
 
-    try
-    {
-        m_storeProvider->fetch(storename, req.getNamespace(), req.getKey(), value, secuser.get(), !req.getUserSpecific());
+    bool success = m_storeProvider->fetch(storename, req.getNamespace(), req.getKey(), value, secuser.get(), !req.getUserSpecific());
+    if (success)
         resp.setValue(value.str());
-    }
-    catch(IException * e)
-    {
-        if (e->errorCode() == ECLWATCH_INVALID_QUERY_KEY)
-        {
-            StringBuffer msg;
-            LOG(MCuserInfo, "WsStore: %s", e->errorMessage(msg).str());
-            e->Release();
-            return false;
-        }
-        else
-            throw e;
-    }
 
-    return true;
+    return success;
 }
 
 bool CwsstoreEx::onFetchKeyMetadata(IEspContext &context, IEspFetchKeyMDRequest &req, IEspFetchKeyMDResponse &resp)