diff --git a/groupcache.go b/groupcache.go
index 586fb79..e555eb3 100644
--- a/groupcache.go
+++ b/groupcache.go
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ func (g *Group) Get(ctx Context, key string, dest Sink) error {
 // Remove clears the key from our cache then forwards the remove
 // request to all peers.
 func (g *Group) Remove(ctx Context, key string) error {
+	g.peersOnce.Do(g.initPeers)
+
 	_, err := g.removeGroup.Do(key, func() (interface{}, error) {
 
 		// Remove from key owner first
@@ -250,7 +252,7 @@ func (g *Group) Remove(ctx Context, key string) error {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
-		// Remove from our cache first in case we are owner
+		// Remove from our cache next
 		g.localRemove(key)
 		wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
 		errs := make(chan error)
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index 568da49..d45955e 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
@@ -273,9 +274,14 @@ func (h *httpGetter) Remove(ctx Context, in *pb.GetRequest) error {
 	if err := h.makeRequest(ctx, http.MethodDelete, in, &res); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	res.Body.Close()
+	defer res.Body.Close()
+
 	if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return fmt.Errorf("server returned: %v", res.Status)
+		body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(res.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("while reading body response: %v", res.Status)
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("server returned status %d: %s", res.StatusCode, body)
 	}
 	return nil
 }