diff --git a/src/actions/license.ts b/src/actions/license.ts
index 3ab1a567..5a593a20 100644
--- a/src/actions/license.ts
+++ b/src/actions/license.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { LicenseInfo, LicenseList } from '../reducers/license';
 
 export enum LicenseActionType {
     DidFetchList = 'license.action.didFetchList',
+    DidFailToFetchList = 'license.action.didFailToFetchList',
     Select = 'license.action.select',
 }
 
@@ -17,6 +18,14 @@ export function didFetchList(list: LicenseList): LicenseDidFetchListAction {
     return { type: LicenseActionType.DidFetchList, list };
 }
 
+export type LicenseDidFailToFetchListAction = Action<LicenseActionType.DidFailToFetchList> & {
+    reason: Response;
+};
+
+export function didFailToFetchList(reason: Response): LicenseDidFailToFetchListAction {
+    return { type: LicenseActionType.DidFailToFetchList, reason };
+}
+
 export type LicenseSelectAction = Action<LicenseActionType.Select> & {
     info: LicenseInfo;
 };
@@ -25,4 +34,7 @@ export function select(info: LicenseInfo): LicenseSelectAction {
     return { type: LicenseActionType.Select, info };
 }
 
-export type LicenseAction = LicenseDidFetchListAction | LicenseSelectAction;
+export type LicenseAction =
+    | LicenseDidFetchListAction
+    | LicenseDidFailToFetchListAction
+    | LicenseSelectAction;
diff --git a/src/sagas/error-log.test.ts b/src/sagas/error-log.test.ts
index 15478f98..b0bd8f25 100644
--- a/src/sagas/error-log.test.ts
+++ b/src/sagas/error-log.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
     didFailToConnect as bleDidFailToConnect,
 } from '../actions/ble';
 import { didFailToWrite } from '../actions/ble-uart';
+import { didFailToFetchList } from '../actions/license';
 import {
     BootloaderConnectionFailureReason,
     didError,
@@ -68,3 +69,17 @@ test('bootloaderDidError', async () => {
 
     await saga.end();
 });
+
+test('licenseDidFailToFetch', async () => {
+    const saga = new AsyncSaga(errorLog);
+
+    console.error = jest.fn();
+    saga.put(
+        didFailToFetchList(
+            new Response(undefined, { status: 404, statusText: 'not found' }),
+        ),
+    );
+    expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await saga.end();
+});
diff --git a/src/sagas/error-log.ts b/src/sagas/error-log.ts
index 7457c029..d7e96dbe 100644
--- a/src/sagas/error-log.ts
+++ b/src/sagas/error-log.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
     BleDeviceFailToConnectReasonType,
 } from '../actions/ble';
 import { BleUartActionType, BleUartDidFailToWriteAction } from '../actions/ble-uart';
+import { LicenseActionType, LicenseDidFailToFetchListAction } from '../actions/license';
 import {
     BootloaderConnectionActionType,
     BootloaderConnectionDidErrorAction,
@@ -39,6 +40,10 @@ function bootloaderDidError(action: BootloaderConnectionDidErrorAction): void {
     console.error(action.err);
 }
 
+function licenseDidFailToFetch(action: LicenseDidFailToFetchListAction): void {
+    console.error(`Failed to fetch licenses: ${action.reason.statusText}`);
+}
+
 export default function* (): Generator {
     yield takeEvery(BleDeviceActionType.DidFailToConnect, bleDeviceDidFailToConnect);
     yield takeEvery(BleUartActionType.DidFailToWrite, bleDataDidFailToWrite);
@@ -47,4 +52,5 @@ export default function* (): Generator {
         bootloaderDidFailToConnect,
     );
     yield takeEvery(BootloaderConnectionActionType.DidError, bootloaderDidError);
+    yield takeEvery(LicenseActionType.DidFailToFetchList, licenseDidFailToFetch);
 }
diff --git a/src/sagas/license.test.ts b/src/sagas/license.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..609072f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sagas/license.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+// Copyright (c) 2020-2021 The Pybricks Authors
+
+// Tests for license sagas.
+
+import { AsyncSaga, delay } from '../../test';
+import { openLicenseDialog } from '../actions/app';
+import { didFailToFetchList, didFetchList } from '../actions/license';
+import { LicenseList, LicenseState } from '../reducers/license';
+import license from './license';
+
+afterAll(() => {
+    jest.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe('fetchLicenses', () => {
+    test('first call', async () => {
+        const testLicenseList: LicenseList = [];
+        const saga = new AsyncSaga(license);
+
+        jest.spyOn(globalThis, 'fetch').mockResolvedValue(
+            new Response(JSON.stringify(testLicenseList)),
+        );
+
+        // initially, license list starts as null, so fetch is called to get
+        // the list
+        saga.setState({ license: { list: null } as LicenseState });
+        saga.put(openLicenseDialog());
+
+        const action = await saga.take();
+        expect(action).toEqual(didFetchList(testLicenseList));
+
+        await saga.end();
+    });
+    test('second call', async () => {
+        const testLicenseList: LicenseList = [];
+        const saga = new AsyncSaga(license);
+
+        jest.spyOn(globalThis, 'fetch').mockRejectedValue(
+            'fetch () should not have been called',
+        );
+
+        // after we have the list, we don't fetch it again since it will
+        // always be the same list
+        saga.setState({ license: { list: testLicenseList } as LicenseState });
+        saga.put(openLicenseDialog());
+
+        // have to yield to be sure fetch call would have taken place on error
+        await delay(0);
+
+        await saga.end();
+    });
+    test('failed fetch', async () => {
+        const failResponse = new Response(undefined, { status: 404 });
+        const saga = new AsyncSaga(license);
+
+        jest.spyOn(globalThis, 'fetch').mockResolvedValue(failResponse);
+
+        saga.setState({ license: { list: null } as LicenseState });
+        saga.put(openLicenseDialog());
+
+        const action = await saga.take();
+        expect(action).toEqual(didFailToFetchList(failResponse));
+
+        await saga.end();
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/sagas/license.ts b/src/sagas/license.ts
index ff574f72..0bd1eac0 100644
--- a/src/sagas/license.ts
+++ b/src/sagas/license.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import { call, put, select, takeEvery } from 'redux-saga/effects';
 import { AppActionType } from '../actions/app';
-import { didFetchList } from '../actions/license';
+import { didFailToFetchList, didFetchList } from '../actions/license';
 import { RootState } from '../reducers';
 import { LicenseList } from '../reducers/license';
 
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ function* fetchLicenses(): Generator {
 
     const response = (yield call(() => fetch('static/oss-licenses.json'))) as Response;
     if (!response.ok || response.body === null) {
-        // TODO: dispatch an action to notify user
-        console.error('failed to fetch oss-licenses.json', response.statusText);
+        yield put(didFailToFetchList(response));
         return;
     }