diff --git a/js/apis/GooglePlacesApi.js b/js/apis/GooglePlacesApi.js
index fe1fa59..08b93a8 100644
--- a/js/apis/GooglePlacesApi.js
+++ b/js/apis/GooglePlacesApi.js
@@ -81,16 +81,28 @@ export const findNearbyPlaces = async ({
 	const rad = `radius=${milesToMeters(radius)}`;
 	const reqUrl = `${placesFromTextUrl}&${keyword}&${loc}&${rad}&type=restaurant`;
 
-	const response: GoogleFindPlaceResponse = await (await fetch(reqUrl)).json();
+	let error;
+	let places;
+	try {
+		const response: GoogleFindPlaceResponse = await (await fetch(reqUrl)).json();
 
-	// if (response.next_page_token) {
-	// 	const page = await getPageResults({ pageToken: response.next_page_token });
-	// 	return concat(response.results, page.results);
-	// }
+		// if (response.next_page_token) {
+		// 	const page = await getPageResults({ pageToken: response.next_page_token });
+		// 	return concat(response.results, page.results);
+		// }
 
-	if (response.status !== 'OK') {
-		throw new Error('google find places request failed');
+		if (response.status !== 'OK') {
+			throw new Error('google find places request failed');
+		}
+
+		places = response.results;
+	} catch (err) {
+		console.log(error); // eslint-disable-line no-console
+		error = err;
 	}
-
-	return { location, places: response.results };
+	return {
+		error,
+		location,
+		places,
+	};
 };
diff --git a/js/components/FoodItemTile.js b/js/components/FoodItemTile.js
index 13dc7c6..909b597 100644
--- a/js/components/FoodItemTile.js
+++ b/js/components/FoodItemTile.js
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import { TileBox, StrongText, SubText, Thumbnail, QuantityLine } from './ItemTil
 import { withPlace } from '../enhancers/placeEnhancers';
 
 const PlaceNameAndDistance = withPlace(
-	({ place = {}, distance = 999.9 }: { place: PlaceRecord, distance: number }) => {
+	({ place, distance = 999.9 }: { place: ?PlaceRecord, distance: number }) => {
 		return (
-			<SubText>{`${place.name || 'Loading...'} - ${parseFloat(distance).toFixed(1)} mi`}</SubText>
+			<SubText>{`${(place && place.name) || 'Loading...'} - ${parseFloat(distance).toFixed(
+				1
+			)} mi`}</SubText>
 		);
 	}
 );
diff --git a/js/pages/PlacesList.js b/js/pages/PlacesList.js
index d8f955c..c363342 100644
--- a/js/pages/PlacesList.js
+++ b/js/pages/PlacesList.js
@@ -11,27 +11,23 @@ import typeof PlaceRecord from '../records/PlaceRecord';
 
 type Props = {
 	foodItemsByPlace: Map<string, Map<string, FoodItemRecord>>,
-	places: Map<string, PlaceRecord>,
+	places: ?Map<string, PlaceRecord>,
 	onRefresh: () => Promise<any>,
 	onPulldown: () => {},
 	isRefreshing: boolean,
 };
 
-const PlacesList = ({
-	foodItemsByPlace = Map(),
-	places = Map(),
-	isRefreshing,
-	onPulldown,
-}: Props) => {
+const PlacesList = ({ foodItemsByPlace = Map(), places, isRefreshing, onPulldown }: Props) => {
+	const refreshing = isRefreshing || !places;
 	return (
-		<ScrollView
-			refreshControl={<RefreshControl refreshing={isRefreshing} onRefresh={onPulldown} />}>
-			{places
-				.map((place: PlaceRecord, placeId: string) => {
-					const foodItems = foodItemsByPlace.get(placeId, new List());
-					return <PlaceTile key={placeId} place={place} foodItems={foodItems} />;
-				})
-				.toList()}
+		<ScrollView refreshControl={<RefreshControl refreshing={refreshing} onRefresh={onPulldown} />}>
+			{places &&
+				places
+					.map((place: PlaceRecord, placeId: string) => {
+						const foodItems = foodItemsByPlace.get(placeId, new List());
+						return <PlaceTile key={placeId} place={place} foodItems={foodItems} />;
+					})
+					.toList()}
 		</ScrollView>
 	);
 };
diff --git a/js/streams/PlacesStream.js b/js/streams/PlacesStream.js
index 501388b..f3a2cd8 100644
--- a/js/streams/PlacesStream.js
+++ b/js/streams/PlacesStream.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { ReplaySubject, Observable } from 'rxjs';
 import { buildPlaceRecord } from '../records/PlaceRecord';
 import { Map } from 'immutable';
 import { findNearbyPlaces, getPlaceDetails } from '../apis/GooglePlacesApi';
-import { memoize } from 'ramda';
+import { memoize, path } from 'ramda';
 import { type GooglePlaceObj } from '../records/PlaceRecord';
 import { setById } from '../helpers/ImmutableHelpers';
 import location$ from './LocationStream';
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export function emitter(val?: ?PlaceRecord) {
 	placesSubject.next(val);
 }
 
-emitter(null);
+filter$.subscribe(() => emitter(null));
 
 foodItems$
 	.mergeMap((foodItems = Map()) => Observable.from(foodItems.toArray()))
@@ -46,19 +46,20 @@ foodItems$
 
 location$
 	.combineLatest(filter$)
-	.mergeMap(([location, filter]: [?Position, FilterRecord]) =>
-		safeFindNearbyPlaces({
+	.mergeMap(([location, filter]: [?Position, FilterRecord]) => {
+		return safeFindNearbyPlaces({
 			location,
 			radius: filter.radius,
 			search: filter.search,
-		})
-	)
-	.map((val: { location: Position, places: Array<GooglePlaceObj> }) => {
+		});
+	})
+	.map((val: { location: ?Position, places: ?Array<GooglePlaceObj> }) => {
 		if (!val) {
 			return;
 		}
-		const { location, places } = val;
-		const getDist = getGeoDist({ lat: location.coords.latitude, lon: location.coords.longitude });
+		const { places } = val;
+		const coords = path(['location', 'coords'], val) || {};
+		const getDist = getGeoDist({ lat: coords.latitude, lon: coords.longitude });
 
 		return (places || []).map((place: GooglePlaceObj) =>
 			buildPlaceRecord({
@@ -69,4 +70,9 @@ location$
 	})
 	.subscribe(places => places && places.map(emitter));
 
-export default placesSubject.distinct().scan(setById, new Map());
+export default placesSubject.scan((places, place) => {
+	if (!place) {
+		return null;
+	}
+	return setById(places || new Map(), place);
+});