diff --git a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp
index fdcfc70aab..987975d803 100644
--- a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/generic_client.cpp
@@ -31,22 +31,31 @@ GenericClient::GenericClient(
   rcl_client_options_t & client_options)
 : ClientBase(node_base, node_graph)
 {
-  ts_lib_ = get_typesupport_library(
-    service_type, "rosidl_typesupport_cpp");
-
-  auto service_ts_ = get_service_typesupport_handle(
-    service_type, "rosidl_typesupport_cpp", *ts_lib_);
-
-  auto response_type_support_intro = get_message_typesupport_handle(
-    service_ts_->response_typesupport,
-    rosidl_typesupport_introspection_cpp::typesupport_identifier);
-  response_members_ = static_cast<const rosidl_typesupport_introspection_cpp::MessageMembers *>(
-    response_type_support_intro->data);
+  const rosidl_service_type_support_t * service_ts;
+  try {
+    ts_lib_ = get_typesupport_library(
+      service_type, "rosidl_typesupport_cpp");
+
+    service_ts = get_service_typesupport_handle(
+      service_type, "rosidl_typesupport_cpp", *ts_lib_);
+
+    auto response_type_support_intro = get_message_typesupport_handle(
+      service_ts->response_typesupport,
+      rosidl_typesupport_introspection_cpp::typesupport_identifier);
+    response_members_ = static_cast<const rosidl_typesupport_introspection_cpp::MessageMembers *>(
+      response_type_support_intro->data);
+  } catch (std::runtime_error & err) {
+    RCLCPP_ERROR(
+      rclcpp::get_node_logger(node_handle_.get()).get_child("rclcpp"),
+      "Invalid service type: %s",
+      err.what());
+    throw rclcpp::exceptions::InvalidServiceTypeError(err.what());
+  }
 
   rcl_ret_t ret = rcl_client_init(
     this->get_client_handle().get(),
     this->get_rcl_node_handle(),
-    service_ts_,
+    service_ts,
     service_name.c_str(),
     &client_options);
   if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
diff --git a/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_generic_client.cpp b/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_generic_client.cpp
index be65ea1f53..496b21ab63 100644
--- a/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_generic_client.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_generic_client.cpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ TEST_F(TestGenericClient, construction_and_destruction) {
     ASSERT_THROW(
     {
       auto client = node->create_generic_client("test_service", "test_msgs/srv/InvalidType");
-    }, std::runtime_error);
+    }, rclcpp::exceptions::InvalidServiceTypeError);
   }
 }