diff --git a/api/chalicelib/core/assist.py b/api/chalicelib/core/assist.py
index 090a13d42..efbc7b5c6 100644
--- a/api/chalicelib/core/assist.py
+++ b/api/chalicelib/core/assist.py
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ def __get_live_sessions_ws(project_id, data):
         if connected_peers.status_code != 200:
             print("!! issue with the peer-server")
             print(connected_peers.text)
-            return []
+            return {"total": 0, "sessions": []}
         live_peers = connected_peers.json().get("data", [])
     except requests.exceptions.Timeout:
         print("Timeout getting Assist response")
-        live_peers = []
+        live_peers = {"total": 0, "sessions": []}
     except Exception as e:
         print("issue getting Live-Assist response")
         print(str(e))
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def __get_live_sessions_ws(project_id, data):
             print(connected_peers.text)
         except:
             print("couldn't get response")
-        live_peers = []
+        live_peers = {"total": 0, "sessions": []}
     _live_peers = live_peers
     if "sessions" in live_peers:
         _live_peers = live_peers["sessions"]
diff --git a/ee/api/routers/subs/v1_api_ee.py b/ee/api/routers/subs/v1_api_ee.py
index 05f732974..a4706ff5a 100644
--- a/ee/api/routers/subs/v1_api_ee.py
+++ b/ee/api/routers/subs/v1_api_ee.py
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@ def get_assist_credentials():
 
 @app_apikey.get('/v1/{projectKey}/assist/sessions', tags=["api"])
 def get_sessions_live(projectKey: str, userId: str = None, context: schemas.CurrentContext = Depends(OR_context)):
-    return core.get_sessions_live(projectId=projects.get_internal_project_id(projectKey),
-                                  userId=userId, context=context)
+    projectId = projects.get_internal_project_id(projectKey)
+    if projectId is None:
+        return {"errors": ["invalid projectKey"]}
+    return core.get_sessions_live(projectId=projectId, userId=userId, context=context)
 
 
 @app_apikey.post('/v1/{projectKey}/assist/sessions', tags=["api"])
-def sessions_live(projectKey: int, data: schemas.LiveSessionsSearchPayloadSchema = Body(...),
+def sessions_live(projectKey: str, data: schemas.LiveSessionsSearchPayloadSchema = Body(...),
                   context: schemas.CurrentContext = Depends(OR_context)):
-    return core.sessions_live(projectId=projects.get_internal_project_id(projectKey),
-                              data=data, context=context)
+    projectId = projects.get_internal_project_id(projectKey)
+    if projectId is None:
+        return {"errors": ["invalid projectKey"]}
+    return core.sessions_live(projectId=projectId, data=data, context=context)