diff --git a/server/api/user.go b/server/api/user.go
index ec26ae836a..305d5eb9ef 100644
--- a/server/api/user.go
+++ b/server/api/user.go
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ func GetRepos(c *gin.Context) {
 	all, _ := strconv.ParseBool(c.Query("all"))
 	flush, _ := strconv.ParseBool(c.Query("flush"))
 
+	var flushError error
 	if flush || time.Unix(user.Synced, 0).Add(time.Hour*72).Before(time.Now()) {
 		log.Debug().Msgf("sync begin: %s", user.Login)
 		user.Synced = time.Now().Unix()
@@ -110,31 +111,40 @@ func GetRepos(c *gin.Context) {
 			Match:  shared.NamespaceFilter(config.OwnersWhitelist),
 		}
 
-		if err := sync.Sync(c, user, server.Config.FlatPermissions); err != nil {
-			log.Debug().Msgf("sync error: %s: %s", user.Login, err)
+		flushError = sync.Sync(c, user, server.Config.FlatPermissions)
+		if flushError != nil {
+			log.Debug().Msgf("sync error: %s: %s", user.Login, flushError)
 		} else {
 			log.Debug().Msgf("sync complete: %s", user.Login)
 		}
 	}
 
-	repos, err := _store.RepoList(user, true)
+	allRepos, err := _store.RepoList(user, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.String(500, "Error fetching repository list. %s", err)
 		return
 	}
 
+	var repos []*model.Repo
 	if all {
-		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, repos)
-		return
+		repos = allRepos
+	} else {
+		for _, repo := range allRepos {
+			if repo.IsActive {
+				repos = append(repos, repo)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
-	var active []*model.Repo
-	for _, repo := range repos {
-		if repo.IsActive {
-			active = append(active, repo)
-		}
+	result := model.RepoList{
+		Repos: repos,
+	}
+
+	if flushError != nil {
+		result.Message = flushError.Error()
 	}
-	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, active)
+
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, result)
 }
 
 func PostToken(c *gin.Context) {
diff --git a/server/model/repo.go b/server/model/repo.go
index a8cd387387..80cf191d34 100644
--- a/server/model/repo.go
+++ b/server/model/repo.go
@@ -97,3 +97,8 @@ type RepoPatch struct {
 	Visibility *string `json:"visibility,omitempty"`
 	AllowPull  *bool   `json:"allow_pr,omitempty"`
 }
+
+type RepoList struct {
+	Message string  `json:"message"`
+	Repos   []*Repo `json:"repos"`
+}
diff --git a/server/shared/userSyncer.go b/server/shared/userSyncer.go
index 5cbef9f079..95757766de 100644
--- a/server/shared/userSyncer.go
+++ b/server/shared/userSyncer.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
+
 	"github.com/woodpecker-ci/woodpecker/server/model"
 	"github.com/woodpecker-ci/woodpecker/server/remote"
 	"github.com/woodpecker-ci/woodpecker/server/store"
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ func (s *Syncer) Sync(ctx context.Context, user *model.User, flatPermissions boo
 	}
 
 	remoteRepos := make([]*model.Repo, 0, len(repos))
+	hasErrors := false
 	for _, repo := range repos {
 		if s.Match(repo) {
 			repo.Perm = &model.Perm{
@@ -86,7 +89,9 @@ func (s *Syncer) Sync(ctx context.Context, user *model.User, flatPermissions boo
 			} else {
 				remotePerm, err := s.Remote.Perm(ctx, user, repo.Owner, repo.Name)
 				if err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("could not fetch permission of repo '%s': %v", repo.FullName, err)
+					log.Debug().Msgf("could not fetch permission of repo '%s': %v", repo.FullName, err)
+					hasErrors = true
+					continue
 				}
 				repo.Perm.Pull = remotePerm.Pull
 				repo.Perm.Push = remotePerm.Push
@@ -97,6 +102,7 @@ func (s *Syncer) Sync(ctx context.Context, user *model.User, flatPermissions boo
 		}
 	}
 
+	// still store all successfully queried repositories
 	err = s.Store.RepoBatch(remoteRepos)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -113,5 +119,14 @@ func (s *Syncer) Sync(ctx context.Context, user *model.User, flatPermissions boo
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	return s.Perms.PermFlush(user, unix)
+	err = s.Perms.PermFlush(user, unix)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if hasErrors {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to sync all repositories. See previous messages for details")
+	}
+
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/index.ts b/web/src/lib/api/index.ts
index 164edf22ee..c1c1c05c62 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/index.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/index.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,25 @@
 import ApiClient, { encodeQueryString } from './client';
-import { Build, BuildFeed, BuildLog, BuildProc, Registry, Repo, RepoPermissions, RepoSettings, Secret } from './types';
+import {
+  Build,
+  BuildFeed,
+  BuildLog,
+  BuildProc,
+  Registry,
+  Repo,
+  RepoList,
+  RepoPermissions,
+  RepoSettings,
+  Secret,
+} from './types';
 
 type RepoListOptions = {
   all?: boolean;
   flush?: boolean;
 };
 export default class WoodpeckerClient extends ApiClient {
-  getRepoList(opts?: RepoListOptions): Promise<Repo[]> {
+  getRepoList(opts?: RepoListOptions): Promise<RepoList> {
     const query = encodeQueryString(opts);
-    return this._get(`/api/user/repos?${query}`) as Promise<Repo[]>;
+    return this._get(`/api/user/repos?${query}`) as Promise<RepoList>;
   }
 
   getRepo(owner: string, repo: string): Promise<Repo> {
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/types/repo.ts b/web/src/lib/api/types/repo.ts
index 41db5b09ea..ee06621994 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/types/repo.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/types/repo.ts
@@ -70,3 +70,11 @@ export type RepoPermissions = {
   admin: boolean;
   synced: number;
 };
+
+export type RepoList = {
+  message: string | null;
+  // error message if any errors occurred
+
+  repos: Repo[];
+  // list of the fetched repositories
+};
diff --git a/web/src/store/repos.ts b/web/src/store/repos.ts
index 9c9f194bf8..a3cb403cf5 100644
--- a/web/src/store/repos.ts
+++ b/web/src/store/repos.ts
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ export default defineStore({
       this.repos[repoSlug(repo)] = repo;
     },
     async loadRepos() {
-      const repos = await apiClient.getRepoList();
-      repos.forEach((repo) => {
+      const result = await apiClient.getRepoList();
+      result.repos.forEach((repo) => {
         this.repos[repoSlug(repo.owner, repo.name)] = repo;
       });
     },
diff --git a/web/src/views/RepoAdd.vue b/web/src/views/RepoAdd.vue
index 4348b3fb6f..5bf673552f 100644
--- a/web/src/views/RepoAdd.vue
+++ b/web/src/views/RepoAdd.vue
@@ -72,13 +72,25 @@ export default defineComponent({
     const { searchedRepos } = useRepoSearch(repos, search);
 
     onMounted(async () => {
-      repos.value = await apiClient.getRepoList({ all: true });
+      const result = await apiClient.getRepoList({ all: true });
+      repos.value = result.repos;
+
+      if (result.message) {
+        notifications.notify({ title: result.message, type: 'error' });
+      }
     });
 
     const { doSubmit: reloadRepos, isLoading: isReloadingRepos } = useAsyncAction(async () => {
+      const result = await apiClient.getRepoList({ all: true, flush: true });
+
       repos.value = undefined;
-      repos.value = await apiClient.getRepoList({ all: true, flush: true });
-      notifications.notify({ title: 'Repository list reloaded', type: 'success' });
+      repos.value = result.repos;
+
+      if (result.message) {
+        notifications.notify({ title: result.message, type: 'error' });
+      } else {
+        notifications.notify({ title: 'Repository list reloaded', type: 'success' });
+      }
     });
 
     const { doSubmit: activateRepo, isLoading: isActivatingRepo } = useAsyncAction(async (repo: Repo) => {
diff --git a/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/client.go b/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/client.go
index b89f298fb6..e97b5e8e29 100644
--- a/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/client.go
+++ b/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/client.go
@@ -124,19 +124,19 @@ func (c *client) Repo(owner string, name string) (*Repo, error) {
 // RepoList returns a list of all repositories to which
 // the user has explicit access in the host system.
 func (c *client) RepoList() ([]*Repo, error) {
-	var out []*Repo
+	var out RepoList
 	uri := fmt.Sprintf(pathRepos, c.addr)
 	err := c.get(uri, &out)
-	return out, err
+	return out.Repos, err
 }
 
 // RepoListOpts returns a list of all repositories to which
 // the user has explicit access in the host system.
 func (c *client) RepoListOpts(sync, all bool) ([]*Repo, error) {
-	var out []*Repo
+	var out RepoList
 	uri := fmt.Sprintf(pathRepos+"?flush=%v&all=%v", c.addr, sync, all)
 	err := c.get(uri, &out)
-	return out, err
+	return out.Repos, err
 }
 
 // RepoPost activates a repository.
diff --git a/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/types.go b/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/types.go
index ff1ab6cfb7..542686bd46 100644
--- a/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/types.go
+++ b/woodpecker-go/woodpecker/types.go
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ type (
 		BuildCounter *int    `json:"build_counter,omitempty"`
 	}
 
+	// RepoList defines the response type of the repos request
+	RepoList struct {
+		Message string  `json:"message"`
+		Repos   []*Repo `json:"repos"`
+	}
+
 	// Build defines a build object.
 	Build struct {
 		ID        int64   `json:"id"`