diff --git a/frontend/src/components/layout/Navbar.vue b/frontend/src/components/layout/Navbar.vue
index 1d508a252..c56b8f702 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/layout/Navbar.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/layout/Navbar.vue
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@
         <template v-slot:activator="{ attrs, on }">
           <div class="d-flex user-box justify-center align-center white--text py-2" v-bind="attrs" v-on="on">
             <v-avatar size="40" color="primary">
-              <span class="white--text headline">AN</span>
+              <span class="white--text headline">{{ userInitials }}</span>
             </v-avatar>
-            <span class="mx-2">{{ authUser.first_name }} {{ authUser.last_name }}</span>
+            <span class="mx-2">{{ displayName }}</span>
             <v-icon class="float-right">mdi-chevron-up</v-icon>
           </div>
         </template>
@@ -107,7 +107,25 @@ export default {
   computed: {
     ...mapGetters({
       authUser: 'auth/authUser'
-    })
+    }),
+    userInitials () {
+      let initials = null
+      if (this.authUser.first_name) {
+        initials = this.authUser.first_name[0]
+      }
+      if (this.authUser.last_name) {
+        initials = initials ? initials + this.authUser.last_name[0] : this.authUser.last_name[0]
+      }
+      if (!initials) {
+        initials = this.authUser.this.authUsername[0]
+      }
+      return initials
+    },
+    displayName () {
+      return (this.authUser.first_name || this.authUser.last_name)
+        ? `${this.authUser.first_name} ${this.authUser.last_name}`
+        : this.authUser.username
+    }
   },
   data () {
     return {
diff --git a/modoboa/lib/api_client.py b/modoboa/lib/api_client.py
index 20e476eb5..203d2c435 100644
--- a/modoboa/lib/api_client.py
+++ b/modoboa/lib/api_client.py
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 """A client for Modoboa's public API."""
 
+import logging
 import os
 
 import pkg_resources
 import requests
 from requests.exceptions import RequestException
 
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
+
+logger = logging.getLogger("modoboa.admin")
+
 
 class ModoAPIClient(object):
 
@@ -26,7 +31,10 @@ class ModoAPIClient(object):
             params = {}
         try:
             resp = requests.get(url, params=params)
-        except RequestException:
+        except RequestException as err:
+            logger.critical(
+                _("Failed to communicate with public API: %s"), str(err)
+            )
             return None
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             return None
@@ -57,7 +65,13 @@ class ModoAPIClient(object):
             url = "{}instances/".format(self._api_url)
             data = {
                 "hostname": hostname, "known_version": self.local_core_version}
-            response = requests.post(url, data=data)
+            try:
+                response = requests.post(url, data=data)
+            except RequestException as err:
+                logger.critical(
+                    _("Failed to communicate with public API: %s"), str(err)
+                )
+                return None
             if response.status_code != 201:
                 return None
             instance = response.json()
@@ -66,8 +80,16 @@ class ModoAPIClient(object):
     def update_instance(self, pk, data):
         """Update instance and send stats."""
         url = "{}instances/{}/".format(self._api_url, pk)
-        response = requests.put(url, data=data)
-        response.raise_for_status()
+        try:
+            response = requests.put(url, data=data)
+        except RequestException as err:
+            logger.critical(
+                _("Failed to communicate with public API: %s"), str(err)
+            )
+        if response.status_code != 200:
+            logger.critical(
+                _("Failed to communicate with public API: %s"), response.text
+            )
 
     def versions(self):
         """Fetch core and extension versions."""