diff --git a/include/richio.h b/include/richio.h
index 675c747772..dba6e95952 100644
--- a/include/richio.h
+++ b/include/richio.h
@@ -115,31 +115,29 @@ struct IO_ERROR // : std::exception
      * @param aMsg is error text that will be streamed through wxString.Printf()
      *  using the format string IO_FORMAT above.
      */
-    IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
+    explicit IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
               const char* aThrowersLoc,
               const wxString& aMsg )
     {
         init( aThrowersFile, aThrowersLoc, aMsg );
     }
 
-#if !wxCHECK_VERSION(2, 9, 0)
-    // 2.9.0 and greater provide a wxString() constructor taking "const char*" whereas
-    // 2.8 did not.  In 2.9.x this IO_ERROR() constructor uses that wxString( const char* )
-    // constructor making this here constructor ambiguous with the IO_ERROR()
-    // taking the wxString.
-
-    IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
+    explicit IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
               const char* aThrowersLoc,
               const std::string& aMsg )
     {
         init( aThrowersFile, aThrowersLoc, wxString::FromUTF8( aMsg.c_str() ) );
     }
-#endif
 
-    /**
-     * handles the case where _() is passed as aMsg.
-     */
-    IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
+    explicit IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
+              const char* aThrowersLoc,
+              const char* aMsg )
+    {
+        init( aThrowersFile, aThrowersLoc, wxString::FromUTF8( aMsg ) );
+    }
+
+    /// handle the case where _() is passed as aMsg.
+    explicit IO_ERROR( const char* aThrowersFile,
               const char* aThrowersLoc,
               const wxChar* aMsg )
     {
diff --git a/pcbnew/github/github_plugin.cpp b/pcbnew/github/github_plugin.cpp
index 8fa3fec875..62e06134d4 100644
--- a/pcbnew/github/github_plugin.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/github/github_plugin.cpp
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
-typedef boost::ptr_map<std::string, wxZipEntry>     MODULE_MAP;
-typedef MODULE_MAP::iterator                        MODULE_ITER;
-typedef MODULE_MAP::const_iterator                  MODULE_CITER;
+typedef boost::ptr_map<string, wxZipEntry>  MODULE_MAP;
+typedef MODULE_MAP::iterator                MODULE_ITER;
+typedef MODULE_MAP::const_iterator          MODULE_CITER;
 
 
 /**
@@ -166,11 +166,17 @@ void GITHUB_PLUGIN::cacheLib( const wxString& aLibraryPath ) throw( IO_ERROR )
 {
     if( !m_cache || m_lib_path != aLibraryPath )
     {
-        //D(printf("%s: this:%p  m_lib_path:'%s'  aLibraryPath:'%s'\n", __func__, this, TO_UTF8( m_lib_path), TO_UTF8(aLibraryPath) );)
+        // operator==( wxString, wxChar* ) does not exist, construct wxString once here.
+        const wxString    kicad_mod( wxT( "kicad_mod" ) );
 
+        //D(printf("%s: this:%p  m_lib_path:'%s'  aLibraryPath:'%s'\n", __func__, this, TO_UTF8( m_lib_path), TO_UTF8(aLibraryPath) );)
         delete m_cache;
         m_cache = new GH_CACHE();
+
+        // INIT_LOGGER( "/tmp", "test.log" );
         remote_get_zip( aLibraryPath );
+        // UNINIT_LOGGER();
+
         m_lib_path = aLibraryPath;
 
         wxMemoryInputStream mis( &m_zip_image[0], m_zip_image.size() );
@@ -182,11 +188,11 @@ void GITHUB_PLUGIN::cacheLib( const wxString& aLibraryPath ) throw( IO_ERROR )
 
         while( ( entry = zis.GetNextEntry() ) != NULL )
         {
-            wxFileName  fn( entry->GetName() );
+            wxFileName  fn( entry->GetName() );     // chop long name into parts
 
-            if( fn.GetExt() == wxT( "kicad_mod" ) )
+            if( fn.GetExt() == kicad_mod )
             {
-                string fp_name = TO_UTF8( fn.GetName() );
+                string fp_name = TO_UTF8( fn.GetName() );   // omit extension & path
 
                 m_cache->insert( fp_name, entry );
             }
@@ -253,9 +259,17 @@ void GITHUB_PLUGIN::remote_get_zip( const wxString& aRepoURL ) throw( IO_ERROR )
 
         // 4 lines, using SSL, top that.
     }
-    catch( std::exception& e )
+    catch( boost::system::system_error& e )
     {
-        THROW_IO_ERROR( e.what() );
+        // https "GET" has faild, report this to API caller.
+        wxString fmt( _( "Cannot GET zip: '%s'\nfor lib-path: '%s'.\nWhat: '%s'" ) );
+
+        string msg = StrPrintf( TO_UTF8( fmt ),
+                zip_url.c_str(),
+                TO_UTF8( aRepoURL ),
+                e.what() );
+
+        THROW_IO_ERROR( msg );
     }
 }