diff --git a/api/ble.py b/api/ble.py
index 6424f40..54e1e95 100644
--- a/api/ble.py
+++ b/api/ble.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ async def _discover_device(mac: str) -> Optional[str]:
     except Exception as e:
         log.error(f"Dicvoere call failed - {e}")
         reset_adapter()
-        if "AccessDenied" in e:
+        if "AccessDenied" in str(e):
             restart_bt_service()
     return None
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ async def _scan_once() -> List[str]:
     except Exception as e:
         log.error(f"Error reading BLE data - {e}")
         this_result = None
-        if "org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.AccessDenied" in e:
+        if "org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.AccessDenied" in str(e):
             return []        
     # only return MACs for devices that pass the _is_match
     return [dev.address for dev in devices if _is_match(dev.address, dev.name)]