diff --git a/tractor/_exceptions.py b/tractor/_exceptions.py
index 249ea164..92a07375 100644
--- a/tractor/_exceptions.py
+++ b/tractor/_exceptions.py
@@ -432,9 +432,13 @@ class RemoteActorError(Exception):
         Error type boxed by last actor IPC hop.
 
         '''
-        if self._boxed_type is None:
+        if (
+            self._boxed_type is None
+            and
+            (ipc_msg := self._ipc_msg)
+        ):
             self._boxed_type = get_err_type(
-                self._ipc_msg.boxed_type_str
+                ipc_msg.boxed_type_str
             )
 
         return self._boxed_type
@@ -1144,6 +1148,12 @@ def unpack_error(
 
     '''
     if not isinstance(msg, Error):
+        # log.critical(
+        #     f'Why a non-Error !?\n'
+        #     f'{msg}\n'
+        # )
+        # dun work without gb-portal!
+        # breakpoint()
         return None
 
     # try to lookup a suitable error type from the local runtime