diff --git a/src/backend.py b/src/backend.py
index 6e45f24..748ff83 100644
--- a/src/backend.py
+++ b/src/backend.py
@@ -60,12 +60,23 @@ def main_loop(self): #FUTURE -> Refactor this to its own class
                 "stream": False # don't really know why --> look into this later.
             }
 
-            response = requests.post(ollama_url, json=payload)
+            try:
+                response = requests.post(ollama_url, json=payload, timeout=30)
+                response.raise_for_status()
+            except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
+                raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to reach Ollama at {ollama_url}: {e}") from e
+
+            try:
+                json_data = response.json()
+            except ValueError as e:
+                raise RuntimeError(f"Ollama returned non-JSON response from {ollama_url}") from e
+
+            if "response" not in json_data:
+                raise RuntimeError(
+                    f"Ollama response missing 'response' key. Payload keys: {list(json_data.keys())}"
+                )
 
-            # parse response
-            json_data = response.json()
-            parsed_response = json_data['response']
-            # print(parsed_response)
+            parsed_response = json_data["response"]
             self.add_response_to_json(field, parsed_response)
             
         print("----------------------------------")
@@ -130,7 +141,7 @@ class Fill():
     def __init__(self):
         pass
     
-    def fill_form(user_input: str, definitions: list, pdf_form: str):
+    def fill_form(self, user_input: str, definitions: list, pdf_form: str):
         """
         Fill a PDF form with values from user_input using testToJSON.
         Fields are filled in the visual order (top-to-bottom, left-to-right).
@@ -148,7 +159,11 @@ def fill_form(user_input: str, definitions: list, pdf_form: str):
         pdf = PdfReader(pdf_form)
 
         # Loop through pages 
-        for page in pdf.pages:
+        pages = pdf.pages
+        if pages is None or not isinstance(pages, list):
+            raise ValueError(f"PDF file '{pdf_form}' could not be read or has no pages")
+        
+        for page in pages:
             if page.Annots:
                 sorted_annots = sorted(
                     page.Annots,
diff --git a/src/test/test_model.py b/src/test/test_model.py
index 7baefba..919ba02 100644
--- a/src/test/test_model.py
+++ b/src/test/test_model.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-# test_ollama.py
-import ollama
+import pytest
 
-try:
-    response = ollama.chat(model='mistral', messages=[
-        {'role': 'user', 'content': 'Say hello in Spanish'}
-    ])
-    print("Success! Response:", response['message']['content'])
-except Exception as e:
-    print("Error:", e)
+
+def test_ollama_chat_smoke():
+    ollama = pytest.importorskip("ollama")
+    response = ollama.chat(
+        model="mistral",
+        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello in Spanish"}],
+    )
+    assert "message" in response
+    assert "content" in response["message"]
+    assert response["message"]["content"]
\ No newline at end of file