diff --git a/Services/AlphabetPartitions/Alphabet.Processing/Alphabet.Processing.csproj b/Services/AlphabetPartitions/Alphabet.Processing/Alphabet.Processing.csproj
index 9559c24..7ebdabf 100644
--- a/Services/AlphabetPartitions/Alphabet.Processing/Alphabet.Processing.csproj
+++ b/Services/AlphabetPartitions/Alphabet.Processing/Alphabet.Processing.csproj
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
     <RootNamespace>Alphabet.Processing</RootNamespace>
     <AssemblyName>Alphabet.Processing</AssemblyName>
-    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.5.1</TargetFrameworkVersion>
+    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.8</TargetFrameworkVersion>
     <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
     <AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>true</AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>
     <TargetFrameworkProfile />
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@
     <None Include="packages.config" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
-  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
-       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
-  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
-  </Target>
-  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
-  </Target>
+  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
+       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
+  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
+  </Target>
+  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
+  </Target>
   -->
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/Services/AlphabetPartitions/AlphabetPartitions.sln b/Services/AlphabetPartitions/AlphabetPartitions.sln
index fc6cb7b..0dceec6 100644
--- a/Services/AlphabetPartitions/AlphabetPartitions.sln
+++ b/Services/AlphabetPartitions/AlphabetPartitions.sln
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-
+
 Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
 # Visual Studio 14
 VisualStudioVersion = 14.0.24627.0
diff --git a/Services/WordCount/WordCount.WebService/HttpExceptionHandler.cs b/Services/WordCount/WordCount.WebService/HttpExceptionHandler.cs
index 40e980c..6b14b9d 100644
--- a/Services/WordCount/WordCount.WebService/HttpExceptionHandler.cs
+++ b/Services/WordCount/WordCount.WebService/HttpExceptionHandler.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ namespace WordCount.WebService
 {
     using System;
     using System.Net;
+    using System.Net.Http;
     using System.Net.Sockets;
     using Microsoft.ServiceFabric.Services.Communication.Client;
 
@@ -29,6 +30,11 @@ public bool TryHandleException(ExceptionInformation exceptionInformation, Operat
                 result = new ExceptionHandlingRetryResult(exceptionInformation.Exception, false, retrySettings, retrySettings.DefaultMaxRetryCount);
                 return true;
             }
+            else if (exceptionInformation.Exception is HttpRequestException)
+            {
+                result = new ExceptionHandlingRetryResult(exceptionInformation.Exception, false, retrySettings, retrySettings.DefaultMaxRetryCount);
+                return true;
+            }
 
             WebException we = exceptionInformation.Exception as WebException;