diff --git a/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/entrypoint.py b/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/entrypoint.py
index 75bdc6e..a09b486 100644
--- a/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/entrypoint.py
+++ b/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/entrypoint.py
@@ -170,14 +170,16 @@ def compute(datasetId, apiUrl, token, params):
     assignment, channel, connectTo, tags, tile, workerInterface = itemgetter(
         *keys)(params)
 
-    object_tag = list(set(workerInterface.get('Object to connect tag', None)))
+    object_tags_raw = workerInterface.get('Object to connect tag', None)
+    if not object_tags_raw or len(object_tags_raw) == 0:
+        sendError("No object tag specified",
+                  info="Please specify an 'Object to connect tag' in the worker interface")
+        return
+
+    object_tag = list(set(object_tags_raw))
     max_distance = float(workerInterface['Max distance'])
     gap_size = int(workerInterface['Connect across gaps'])
 
-    if not object_tag or len(object_tag) == 0:
-        sendError("No object tag specified")
-        raise ValueError("No object tag specified")
-
     print(
         f"Connecting {object_tag} objects across {gap_size} time slices "
         f"with a max distance of {max_distance} pixels")
diff --git a/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/tests/test_connect_timelapse.py b/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/tests/test_connect_timelapse.py
index 62e997a..05034d6 100644
--- a/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/tests/test_connect_timelapse.py
+++ b/workers/annotations/connect_timelapse/tests/test_connect_timelapse.py
@@ -167,14 +167,55 @@ def test_basic_compute(mock_get_annotations, mock_send_progress, mock_annotation
     assert all('tags' in conn for conn in connections)
 
 
-def test_compute_no_object_tag(mock_annotation_client, sample_params):
-    """Test error handling when no object tag is specified"""
-    # Remove object tag from params
+@patch('entrypoint.sendError')
+def test_compute_no_object_tag_empty_list(mock_send_error, mock_annotation_client, sample_params):
+    """Test error handling when object tag is an empty list"""
+    # Set object tag to empty list
     sample_params['workerInterface']['Object to connect tag'] = []
 
-    # Should raise ValueError
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="No object tag specified"):
-        compute('test_dataset', 'http://test-api', 'test-token', sample_params)
+    # Should call sendError and return gracefully
+    compute('test_dataset', 'http://test-api', 'test-token', sample_params)
+
+    mock_send_error.assert_called_once_with(
+        "No object tag specified",
+        info="Please specify an 'Object to connect tag' in the worker interface"
+    )
+    # Should not proceed to fetch annotations
+    mock_annotation_client.getAnnotationsByDatasetId.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@patch('entrypoint.sendError')
+def test_compute_no_object_tag_none(mock_send_error, mock_annotation_client, sample_params):
+    """Test error handling when object tag is None"""
+    # Set object tag to None
+    sample_params['workerInterface']['Object to connect tag'] = None
+
+    # Should call sendError and return gracefully
+    compute('test_dataset', 'http://test-api', 'test-token', sample_params)
+
+    mock_send_error.assert_called_once_with(
+        "No object tag specified",
+        info="Please specify an 'Object to connect tag' in the worker interface"
+    )
+    # Should not proceed to fetch annotations
+    mock_annotation_client.getAnnotationsByDatasetId.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@patch('entrypoint.sendError')
+def test_compute_no_object_tag_missing_key(mock_send_error, mock_annotation_client, sample_params):
+    """Test error handling when Object to connect tag key is missing from workerInterface"""
+    # Remove the key entirely
+    del sample_params['workerInterface']['Object to connect tag']
+
+    # Should call sendError and return gracefully
+    compute('test_dataset', 'http://test-api', 'test-token', sample_params)
+
+    mock_send_error.assert_called_once_with(
+        "No object tag specified",
+        info="Please specify an 'Object to connect tag' in the worker interface"
+    )
+    # Should not proceed to fetch annotations
+    mock_annotation_client.getAnnotationsByDatasetId.assert_not_called()
 
 
 @patch('annotation_client.utils.sendProgress')