diff --git a/nova3/engines/jackett.py b/nova3/engines/jackett.py
index 0ea675fa..429ed90b 100644
--- a/nova3/engines/jackett.py
+++ b/nova3/engines/jackett.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# VERSION: 4.13
+# VERSION: 4.14
 # AUTHORS: Diego de las Heras (ngosang@hotmail.es)
 # CONTRIBUTORS: ukharley
 #               hannsen (github.com/hannsen)
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import datetime
 import json
 import os
+import sys
 import urllib.request
 import xml.etree.ElementTree
 from http.cookiejar import CookieJar
@@ -146,15 +147,15 @@ def search(self, what: str, cat: str = 'all') -> None:
 
         # check api_key
         if self.api_key == "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE":
-            self.handle_error("api key error", what)
+            self.handle_error("API key not configured in jackett.json", what)
             return
 
         # search in Jackett API
-        if self.thread_count > 1:
-            indexers = self.get_jackett_indexers(what)
-            if not indexers:
-                return
+        indexers = self.get_jackett_indexers(what)
+        if not indexers:
+            return
 
+        if self.thread_count > 1:
             args = ((what, category, indexer) for indexer in indexers)
             with Pool(min(len(indexers), self.thread_count)) as pool:
                 pool.starmap(self.search_jackett_indexer, args)
@@ -170,13 +171,21 @@ def get_jackett_indexers(self, what: str) -> List[str]:
         jacket_url = f"{self.url}/api/v2.0/indexers/all/results/torznab/api?{params}"
         response = self.get_response(jacket_url)
         if response is None:
-            self.handle_error("connection error getting indexer list", what)
+            self.handle_error("cannot contact Jackett; check that it is running and the API key is correct", what)
             return []
         # process results
-        response_xml = xml.etree.ElementTree.fromstring(response)
+        try:
+            response_xml = xml.etree.ElementTree.fromstring(response)
+        except xml.etree.ElementTree.ParseError as error:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Invalid response from Jackett. {what}") from error
+        if response_xml.tag == 'error':
+            description = response_xml.attrib.get('description', 'unknown error')
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Jackett API error: {description}. {what}")
         indexers: List[str] = []
         for indexer in response_xml.findall('indexer'):
             indexers.append(indexer.attrib['id'])
+        if not indexers:
+            self.handle_error("no indexers configured in Jackett; add one in the Jackett UI", what)
         return indexers
 
     def search_jackett_indexer(self, what: str, category: Union[List[str], None], indexer_id: str) -> None:
@@ -278,6 +287,7 @@ def get_response(self, query: str) -> Union[str, None]:
         return response
 
     def handle_error(self, error_msg: str, what: str) -> None:
+        print(f"Jackett: {error_msg}. Search: {what}", file=sys.stderr)
         # we need to print the search text to be displayed in qBittorrent when
         # 'Torrent names only' is enabled
         self.pretty_printer_thread_safe({
diff --git a/nova3/engines/versions.txt b/nova3/engines/versions.txt
index 3c684d05..c7829a47 100644
--- a/nova3/engines/versions.txt
+++ b/nova3/engines/versions.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 eztv: 1.24
-jackett: 4.13
+jackett: 4.14
 limetorrents: 4.15
 piratebay: 3.10
 solidtorrents: 2.9
diff --git a/nova3/tests/test_jackett.py b/nova3/tests/test_jackett.py
index a47a0992..a59c7344 100644
--- a/nova3/tests/test_jackett.py
+++ b/nova3/tests/test_jackett.py
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
 import pytest
 
 from ..engines import jackett
@@ -8,5 +12,56 @@ def test_jackett(capfd: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]) -> None:
     engine.search('linux', 'all')
 
     capturedOutput = capfd.readouterr()
-    assert capturedOutput.err == ""
-    assert len(capturedOutput.out) >= 0
+    assert capturedOutput.err or capturedOutput.out
+
+
+def test_jackett_reports_missing_api_key(capfd: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]) -> None:
+    engine = jackett.jackett()
+    engine.api_key = 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'
+    engine.search('linux', 'all')
+
+    assert capfd.readouterr().err
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'response',
+    [
+        None,
+        '<indexers />',
+    ],
+)
+def test_jackett_reports_setup_errors(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, capfd: pytest.CaptureFixture[str], response: str | None) -> None:
+    engine = jackett.jackett()
+    engine.api_key = 'test-key'
+    engine.thread_count = 1
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine, 'get_response', Mock(return_value=response))
+    engine.search('linux', 'all')
+
+    assert capfd.readouterr().err
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('response', [
+    '<indexers',
+    '<error code="100" description="Invalid API Key" />',
+])
+def test_jackett_raises_for_bad_response(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, response: str) -> None:
+    engine = jackett.jackett()
+    engine.api_key = 'test-key'
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine, 'get_response', Mock(return_value=response))
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        engine.search('linux', 'all')
+
+
+def test_jackett_checks_indexers_without_concurrency(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    engine = jackett.jackett()
+    engine.api_key = 'test-key'
+    engine.thread_count = 1
+    search_mock = Mock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine, 'get_response', Mock(return_value='<indexers><indexer id="thepiratebay" /></indexers>'))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine, 'search_jackett_indexer', search_mock)
+    engine.search('linux', 'all')
+
+    search_mock.assert_called_once_with('linux', None, 'all')