diff --git a/pyani/scripts/subcommands/subcmd_download.py b/pyani/scripts/subcommands/subcmd_download.py
index ac991bed..98185151 100644
--- a/pyani/scripts/subcommands/subcmd_download.py
+++ b/pyani/scripts/subcommands/subcmd_download.py
@@ -40,17 +40,23 @@
 """Provides the download subcommand for pyani."""
 
 import logging
+import subprocess
 
 from argparse import Namespace
 from typing import Dict, List, NamedTuple, Optional, Tuple
 
 from Bio import SeqIO
 
-from pyani import download
+from pyani import download, PyaniException
 from pyani.pyani_tools import termcolor
 from pyani.scripts import make_outdir
 
 
+class PyaniDownloadException(PyaniException):
+
+    """Exception raised when a download or archive extraction fails."""
+
+
 class Skipped(NamedTuple):
 
     """Convenience struct for holding information about skipped genomes."""
@@ -98,7 +104,9 @@ def dl_info_to_str(esummary, uid_class) -> str:
 
 
 def download_data(
-    args: Namespace, api_key: Optional[str], asm_dict: Dict[str, List],
+    args: Namespace,
+    api_key: Optional[str],
+    asm_dict: Dict[str, List],
 ) -> Tuple[List, List, List]:
     """Download the accessions indicated in the passed dictionary.
 
@@ -131,7 +139,14 @@ def download_data(
                     exc_info=True,
                 )
                 skippedlist.append(
-                    Skipped(tid, uid, "", "", None, "RefSeq",)
+                    Skipped(
+                        tid,
+                        uid,
+                        "",
+                        "",
+                        None,
+                        "RefSeq",
+                    )
                 )  # pylint: disable=no-member
                 continue
 
@@ -154,7 +169,13 @@ def download_data(
             )
             skippedlist.extend(skipped_genomes)
             if not dlstatus.skipped:
-                extract_genomes(args, dlstatus, esummary)
+                try:
+                    extract_genomes(args, dlstatus, esummary)
+                except PyaniDownloadException:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "Could not extract %s; continuing", dlstatus.outfname
+                    )
+                    continue
                 labeltxt, classtxt = hash_genomes(args, dlstatus, filestem, uid_class)
                 classes.append(classtxt)
                 labels.append(labeltxt)
@@ -182,7 +203,10 @@ def extract_genomes(args: Namespace, dlstatus: download.DLStatus, esummary) -> N
         logger.warning("Output file %s exists, not extracting", ename)
     else:
         logger.debug("Extracting archive %s to %s", dlstatus.outfname, ename)
-        download.extract_contigs(dlstatus.outfname, ename)
+        try:
+            download.extract_contigs(dlstatus.outfname, ename)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+            raise PyaniDownloadException
 
     # Modify sequence ID header if Kraken option active
     if args.kraken:
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 4b88f323..bea937ff 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -130,6 +130,12 @@ def dir_anim_in():
     return FIXTUREPATH / "anim"
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def dir_download_out():
+    """Output directory for download tests."""
+    return FIXTUREPATH / "download"
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def dir_fastani_in():
     """Input files for fastANI tests."""
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/download/bad_location.txt b/tests/fixtures/download/bad_location.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/test_subcmd_01_download.py b/tests/test_subcmd_01_download.py
index 095494ad..d141da9e 100644
--- a/tests/test_subcmd_01_download.py
+++ b/tests/test_subcmd_01_download.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 """
 
 import logging
+import subprocess
 
 from argparse import Namespace
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -123,6 +124,12 @@ def test_create_hash():
         download.create_hash(test_file)
 
 
+def test_failed_extract_contigs(dir_download_out):
+    """Test for failed extraction of zip file contents."""
+    with assertions.assertRaises(subprocess.CalledProcessError):
+        download.extract_contigs("bad/file.gz", dir_download_out / "bad_location.txt")
+
+
 def test_download_dry_run(dryrun_namespace):
     """Dry run of C. blochmannia download."""
     subcommands.subcmd_download(dryrun_namespace)