diff --git a/changelog.d/5383.misc b/changelog.d/5383.misc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9dd5d1df93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5383.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Don't log non-200 responses from federation queries as exceptions.
diff --git a/synapse/groups/attestations.py b/synapse/groups/attestations.py
index 469ab8ac7b..3ba74001d8 100644
--- a/synapse/groups/attestations.py
+++ b/synapse/groups/attestations.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ from signedjson.sign import sign_json
 
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
-from synapse.api.errors import RequestSendFailed, SynapseError
+from synapse.api.errors import HttpResponseException, RequestSendFailed, SynapseError
 from synapse.metrics.background_process_metrics import run_as_background_process
 from synapse.types import get_domain_from_id
 from synapse.util.logcontext import run_in_background
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ class GroupAttestionRenewer(object):
                 yield self.store.update_attestation_renewal(
                     group_id, user_id, attestation
                 )
-            except RequestSendFailed as e:
+            except (RequestSendFailed, HttpResponseException) as e:
                 logger.warning(
                     "Failed to renew attestation of %r in %r: %s",
                     user_id, group_id, e,
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/groups_local.py b/synapse/handlers/groups_local.py
index 02c508acec..f60ace02e8 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/groups_local.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/groups_local.py
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ def _create_rerouter(func_name):
             def http_response_errback(failure):
                 failure.trap(HttpResponseException)
                 e = failure.value
-                if e.code == 403:
-                    raise e.to_synapse_error()
-                return failure
+                raise e.to_synapse_error()
 
             def request_failed_errback(failure):
                 failure.trap(RequestSendFailed)
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/profile.py b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
index a5fc6c5dbf..3e04233394 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/profile.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@
 
 import logging
 
+from six import raise_from
+
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
 from synapse.api.errors import (
     AuthError,
-    CodeMessageException,
     Codes,
+    HttpResponseException,
+    RequestSendFailed,
     StoreError,
     SynapseError,
 )
@@ -85,10 +88,10 @@ class BaseProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
                     ignore_backoff=True,
                 )
                 defer.returnValue(result)
-            except CodeMessageException as e:
-                if e.code != 404:
-                    logger.exception("Failed to get displayname")
-                raise
+            except RequestSendFailed as e:
+                raise_from(SynapseError(502, "Failed to fetch profile"), e)
+            except HttpResponseException as e:
+                raise e.to_synapse_error()
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def get_profile_from_cache(self, user_id):
@@ -142,10 +145,10 @@ class BaseProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
                     },
                     ignore_backoff=True,
                 )
-            except CodeMessageException as e:
-                if e.code != 404:
-                    logger.exception("Failed to get displayname")
-                raise
+            except RequestSendFailed as e:
+                raise_from(SynapseError(502, "Failed to fetch profile"), e)
+            except HttpResponseException as e:
+                raise e.to_synapse_error()
 
             defer.returnValue(result["displayname"])
 
@@ -208,10 +211,10 @@ class BaseProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
                     },
                     ignore_backoff=True,
                 )
-            except CodeMessageException as e:
-                if e.code != 404:
-                    logger.exception("Failed to get avatar_url")
-                raise
+            except RequestSendFailed as e:
+                raise_from(SynapseError(502, "Failed to fetch profile"), e)
+            except HttpResponseException as e:
+                raise e.to_synapse_error()
 
             defer.returnValue(result["avatar_url"])
 
diff --git a/synapse/replication/http/_base.py b/synapse/replication/http/_base.py
index e81456ab2b..0a432a16fa 100644
--- a/synapse/replication/http/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/replication/http/_base.py
@@ -17,11 +17,17 @@ import abc
 import logging
 import re
 
+from six import raise_from
 from six.moves import urllib
 
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
-from synapse.api.errors import CodeMessageException, HttpResponseException
+from synapse.api.errors import (
+    CodeMessageException,
+    HttpResponseException,
+    RequestSendFailed,
+    SynapseError,
+)
 from synapse.util.caches.response_cache import ResponseCache
 from synapse.util.stringutils import random_string
 
@@ -175,6 +181,8 @@ class ReplicationEndpoint(object):
                 # on the master process that we should send to the client. (And
                 # importantly, not stack traces everywhere)
                 raise e.to_synapse_error()
+            except RequestSendFailed as e:
+                raise_from(SynapseError(502, "Failed to talk to master"), e)
 
             defer.returnValue(result)