diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/discovery/PodcastSearchResult.java b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/discovery/PodcastSearchResult.java
index 39c5b8dee..ca9ed83d7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/discovery/PodcastSearchResult.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/discovery/PodcastSearchResult.java
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ public class PodcastSearchResult {
         this.feedUrl = feedUrl;
     }
 
+    public static PodcastSearchResult dummy() {
+        return new PodcastSearchResult("", "", "");
+    }
+
     /**
      * Constructs a Podcast instance from a iTunes search result
      *
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment.java
index 6b3168ee6..e4213cc6b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/fragment/QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.widget.AdapterView;
 import android.widget.GridView;
 import android.widget.ProgressBar;
+import android.widget.TextView;
 import com.afollestad.materialdialogs.MaterialDialog;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.R;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.activity.MainActivity;
@@ -19,6 +20,9 @@ import de.danoeh.antennapod.discovery.ItunesTopListLoader;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.discovery.PodcastSearchResult;
 import io.reactivex.disposables.Disposable;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
 
 public class QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment extends Fragment implements AdapterView.OnItemClickListener {
     private static final String TAG = "FeedDiscoveryFragment";
@@ -27,6 +31,7 @@ public class QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment extends Fragment implements AdapterView.
     private Disposable disposable;
     private FeedDiscoverAdapter adapter;
     private GridView subscriptionGridLayout;
+    private TextView errorTextView;
 
     @Override
     public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
@@ -35,13 +40,23 @@ public class QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment extends Fragment implements AdapterView.
         View discoverMore = root.findViewById(R.id.discover_more);
         discoverMore.setOnClickListener(v ->
                 ((MainActivity) getActivity()).loadChildFragment(new ItunesSearchFragment()));
-        subscriptionGridLayout = root.findViewById(R.id.discover_grid);
 
+        subscriptionGridLayout = root.findViewById(R.id.discover_grid);
         progressBar = root.findViewById(R.id.discover_progress_bar);
+        errorTextView = root.findViewById(R.id.discover_error);
+
         adapter = new FeedDiscoverAdapter((MainActivity) getActivity());
         subscriptionGridLayout.setAdapter(adapter);
         subscriptionGridLayout.setOnItemClickListener(this);
 
+        // Fill with dummy elements to have a fixed height and
+        // prevent the UI elements below from jumping on slow connections
+        List<PodcastSearchResult> dummies = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+            dummies.add(PodcastSearchResult.dummy());
+        }
+        adapter.updateData(dummies);
+
         loadToplist();
 
         return root;
@@ -57,18 +72,22 @@ public class QuickFeedDiscoveryFragment extends Fragment implements AdapterView.
 
     private void loadToplist() {
         progressBar.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
-        subscriptionGridLayout.setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        subscriptionGridLayout.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
+        errorTextView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
 
         ItunesTopListLoader loader = new ItunesTopListLoader(getContext());
         disposable = loader.loadToplist(8)
                 .subscribe(podcasts -> {
+                    errorTextView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                     progressBar.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                     subscriptionGridLayout.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                     adapter.updateData(podcasts);
                 }, error -> {
                     Log.e(TAG, Log.getStackTraceString(error));
+                    errorTextView.setText(error.getLocalizedMessage());
+                    errorTextView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                     progressBar.setVisibility(View.GONE);
-                    subscriptionGridLayout.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+                    subscriptionGridLayout.setVisibility(View.INVISIBLE);
                 });
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/quick_feed_discovery.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/quick_feed_discovery.xml
index f9c13b680..ce5cfa65b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/quick_feed_discovery.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/quick_feed_discovery.xml
@@ -41,27 +41,41 @@
                     android:textColor="@color/antennapod_blue"/>
         </LinearLayout>
 
-
-        <de.danoeh.antennapod.view.WrappingGridView
-                android:id="@+id/discover_grid"
+        <RelativeLayout
                 android:layout_width="match_parent"
-                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-                android:numColumns="4"
-                app:layout_columnWeight="1"
-                app:layout_rowWeight="1"
-                android:horizontalSpacing="4dp"
-                android:verticalSpacing="4dp"
-                android:scrollbars="none"
-                android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
-                android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"/>
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content">
 
-        <ProgressBar
-                android:id="@+id/discover_progress_bar"
-                style="?android:attr/progressBarStyle"
-                android:layout_width="wrap_content"
-                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-                android:layout_gravity="center"
-                android:layout_marginTop="30dp"/>
+            <de.danoeh.antennapod.view.WrappingGridView
+                    android:id="@+id/discover_grid"
+                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:numColumns="4"
+                    app:layout_columnWeight="1"
+                    app:layout_rowWeight="1"
+                    android:horizontalSpacing="4dp"
+                    android:verticalSpacing="4dp"
+                    android:scrollbars="none"
+                    android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
+                    android:layout_centerInParent="true"
+                    android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"/>
+
+            <ProgressBar
+                    android:id="@+id/discover_progress_bar"
+                    style="?android:attr/progressBarStyle"
+                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_gravity="center"
+                    android:layout_centerInParent="true"
+                    android:layout_marginTop="30dp"/>
+
+            <TextView
+                    android:id="@+id/discover_error"
+                    android:textColor="@color/md_edittext_error"
+                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                    android:layout_centerInParent="true"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content" />
+
+        </RelativeLayout>
 
     </LinearLayout>