diff --git a/advanced/Scripts/piholeCheckout.sh b/advanced/Scripts/piholeCheckout.sh
index c7780cd0..65e6ebb8 100755
--- a/advanced/Scripts/piholeCheckout.sh
+++ b/advanced/Scripts/piholeCheckout.sh
@@ -161,34 +161,52 @@ checkout() {
     elif [[ "${1}" == "ftl" ]] ; then
         local path
         local oldbranch
+        local existing=false
         path="${2}/${binary}"
         oldbranch="$(pihole-FTL -b)"
 
-        echo -e "  ${INFO} Checking for branch ${COL_CYAN}${2}${COL_NC} on https://ftl.pi-hole.net"
-        check_download_exists "$path"
-        local ret=$?
-        if [ $ret -eq 0 ]; then
-            echo "  ${TICK} Branch ${2} exists"
+        # Check if requested branch is available
+        echo -e "  ${INFO} Checking for availability of branch ${COL_CYAN}${2}${COL_NC} on GitHub"
+        ftlbranches=( $(git ls-remote https://github.com/pi-hole/ftl | grep "refs/heads" | cut -d'/' -f3- -) )
+        # If returned array is empty -> connectivity issue
+        if [[ ${#ftlbranches[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+            echo -e "  ${CROSS} Unable to fetch branches from GitHub. Please check your Internet connection and try again later."
+            exit 1
+        fi
+
+        for e in "${ftlbranches[@]}"; do [[ "$e" == "${2}" ]] && existing=true; done
+        if [[ "${existing}" == false ]]; then
+            echo -e "  ${CROSS} Requested branch is not available\n"
+            echo -e "  ${INFO} Available branches are:"
+            for e in "${ftlbranches[@]}"; do echo "      - $e"; done
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo -e "  ${TICK} Branch ${2} exists on GitHub"
+
+        echo -e "  ${INFO} Checking for ${COL_YELLOW}${binary}${COL_NC} binary on https://ftl.pi-hole.net"
+
+        if check_download_exists "$path"; then
+            echo "  ${TICK} Binary exists"
             echo "${2}" > /etc/pihole/ftlbranch
             chmod 644 /etc/pihole/ftlbranch
-            echo -e "  ${INFO} Switching to branch: \"${2}\" from \"${oldbranch}\""
+            echo -e "  ${INFO} Switching to branch: ${COL_CYAN}${2}${COL_NC} from ${COL_CYAN}${oldbranch}${COL_NC}"
             FTLinstall "${binary}"
             restart_service pihole-FTL
             enable_service pihole-FTL
             # Update local and remote versions via updatechecker
             /opt/pihole/updatecheck.sh
         else
-            if [[ $ret -eq 1 ]]; then
-                echo "  ${CROSS} Requested branch \"${2}\" is not available"
-                ftlbranches=( $(git ls-remote https://github.com/pi-hole/ftl | grep 'heads' | sed 's/refs\/heads\///;s/ //g' | awk '{print $2}') )
-                echo -e "  ${INFO} Available branches for FTL are:"
-                for e in "${ftlbranches[@]}"; do echo "      - $e"; done
+            if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
+                # Binary for requested branch is not available, may still be
+                # int he process of being built or CI build job failed
+                printf "  %b Binary for requested branch is not available, please try again later.\\n" ${CROSS}
+                printf "      If the issue persists, please contact Pi-hole Support and ask them to re-generate the binary.\\n"
                 exit 1
-            elif [[ $ret -eq 2 ]]; then
+            elif [ $? -eq 2 ]; then
                 printf "  %b Unable to download from ftl.pi-hole.net. Please check your Internet connection and try again later.\\n" "${CROSS}"
                 exit 1
             else
-                printf "  %b Unknown error. Please contact Pi-hole Support\\n" "${CROSS}"
+                printf "  %b Unknown checkout error. Please contact Pi-hole Support\\n" "${CROSS}"
                 exit 1
             fi
         fi
diff --git a/automated install/basic-install.sh b/automated install/basic-install.sh
index 1b11f2f2..9927b374 100755
--- a/automated install/basic-install.sh	
+++ b/automated install/basic-install.sh	
@@ -16,10 +16,9 @@
 #
 # curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash
 
-# -e option instructs bash to immediately exit if any command [1] has a non-zero
-# exit status We do not want users to end up with a partially working install,
-# so we exit the script instead of continuing the installation with something
-# broken
+# -e option instructs bash to immediately exit if any command [1] has a non-zero exit status
+# We do not want users to end up with a partially working install, so we exit the script
+# instead of continuing the installation with something broken
 set -e
 
 # Append common folders to the PATH to ensure that all basic commands are available.
@@ -1694,7 +1693,7 @@ update_dialogs() {
 
 check_download_exists() {
     # Check if the download exists and we can reach the server
-    status=$(curl --head --silent "https://ftl.pi-hole.net/${1}" | head -n 1)
+    local status=$(curl --head --silent "https://ftl.pi-hole.net/${1}" | head -n 1)
 
     # Check the status code
     if grep -q "200" <<<"$status"; then
@@ -2012,14 +2011,12 @@ FTLcheckUpdate() {
 
         # Check whether or not the binary for this FTL branch actually exists. If not, then there is no update!
         # shellcheck disable=SC1090
-        check_download_exists "$path"
-        local ret=$?
-        if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then
-            if [[ $ret -eq 1 ]]; then
+        if ! check_download_exists "$path"; then
+            if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
                 printf "  %b Branch \"%s\" is not available.\\n" "${INFO}" "${ftlBranch}"
                 printf "  %b Use %bpihole checkout ftl [branchname]%b to switch to a valid branch.\\n" "${INFO}" "${COL_LIGHT_GREEN}" "${COL_NC}"
                 return 2
-            elif [[ $ret -eq 2 ]]; then
+            elif [ $? -eq 2 ]; then
                 printf "  %b Unable to download from ftl.pi-hole.net. Please check your Internet connection and try again later.\\n" "${CROSS}"
                 return 3
             else
diff --git a/pihole b/pihole
index 93545cb7..f4951d27 100755
--- a/pihole
+++ b/pihole
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ piholeCheckoutFunc() {
       echo "Switch Pi-hole subsystems to a different GitHub branch
     Usage: ${COL_GREEN}pihole checkout${COL_NC} ${COL_YELLOW}shortcut${COL_NC}
         or ${COL_GREEN}pihole checkout${COL_NC} ${COL_PURPLE}repo${COL_NC} ${COL_CYAN}branch${COL_NC}
+
   Example: ${COL_GREEN}pihole checkout${COL_NC} ${COL_YELLOW}master${COL_NC}
        or  ${COL_GREEN}pihole checkout${COL_NC} ${COL_PURPLE}ftl ${COL_CYAN}development${COL_NC}