diff --git a/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/client/ClientResponse.java b/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/client/ClientResponse.java
index 370b8c2..b347250 100644
--- a/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/client/ClientResponse.java
+++ b/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/client/ClientResponse.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public byte[] getBody() {
     }
 
     public String getBodyAsString() {
-        return new String(body, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        return body == null ? "" : new String(body, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
     }
 
     public Map<String, String> getHeaders() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/queries/MaxQuery.java b/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/queries/MaxQuery.java
index e9ad888..a09f716 100644
--- a/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/queries/MaxQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/ru/max/botapi/queries/MaxQuery.java
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@ public static String substitute(String pathTemplate, Object... substitutions) {
         for (int i = 0; i < chars.length; i++) {
             char c = chars[i];
             if (c == '{') {
-                i = pathTemplate.indexOf('}', i);
+                int closing = pathTemplate.indexOf('}', i);
+                if (closing == -1) {
+                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Malformed path template: unclosed '{' at index " + i + " in \"" + pathTemplate + "\"");
+                }
+                i = closing;
                 sb.append(substitutions[nextSubst++]);
                 continue;
             }