diff --git a/src/backend/langflow/api/v1/store.py b/src/backend/langflow/api/v1/store.py
index 707542ee3..3852afdad 100644
--- a/src/backend/langflow/api/v1/store.py
+++ b/src/backend/langflow/api/v1/store.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
+from datetime import datetime
 from typing import List, Optional
 from uuid import UUID
+
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, Query
+from httpx import HTTPStatusError
+
 from langflow.services.auth import utils as auth_utils
 from langflow.services.database.models.user.user import User
-from langflow.services.deps import (
-    get_store_service,
-    get_settings_service,
-)
+from langflow.services.deps import get_settings_service, get_store_service
 from langflow.services.store.schema import (
     ComponentResponse,
     DownloadComponentResponse,
@@ -14,14 +16,9 @@ from langflow.services.store.schema import (
     TagResponse,
     UsersLikesResponse,
 )
-
-from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, Query
-from datetime import datetime
-
 from langflow.services.store.service import StoreService, user_data_context
 from langflow.services.store.utils import update_components_with_user_data
 
-
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/store", tags=["Components Store"])
 
 
@@ -91,19 +88,25 @@ def get_components(
     store_api_Key: Optional[str] = Depends(get_optional_user_store_api_key),
 ):
     try:
-        with user_data_context(store_api_Key, store_service):
-            authorized = False
-            result = store_service.query_components(
-                api_key=store_api_Key,
-                page=page,
-                limit=limit,
-                filter_by_user=filter_by_user,
-                is_component=is_component,
-                search=search,
-                status=status,
-                tags=tags,
-                sort=sort,
-            )
+        with user_data_context(api_key=store_api_Key, store_service=store_service):
+            try:
+                authorized = False
+                result = store_service.query_components(
+                    api_key=store_api_Key,
+                    page=page,
+                    limit=limit,
+                    filter_by_user=filter_by_user,
+                    is_component=is_component,
+                    search=search,
+                    status=status,
+                    tags=tags,
+                    sort=sort,
+                )
+            except HTTPStatusError as exc:
+                if exc.response.status_code == 403:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        "You are not authorized to access this public resource"
+                    )
             try:
                 comp_count = store_service.count_components(
                     api_key=store_api_Key,
@@ -130,6 +133,12 @@ def get_components(
             results=result, authorized=authorized, count=comp_count
         )
     except Exception as exc:
+        if isinstance(exc, HTTPStatusError):
+            if exc.response.status_code == 403:
+                raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail="Forbidden")
+        elif isinstance(exc, ValueError):
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail=str(exc))
+
         raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(exc))
 
 
diff --git a/src/backend/langflow/services/store/service.py b/src/backend/langflow/services/store/service.py
index 79e124a2b..6c0e06013 100644
--- a/src/backend/langflow/services/store/service.py
+++ b/src/backend/langflow/services/store/service.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-from datetime import datetime
 import json
+from datetime import datetime
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
 from uuid import UUID
-from langflow.services.base import Service
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List, Dict, Any, Optional, Union
-import httpx
 
-from httpx import HTTPError
+import httpx
+from httpx import HTTPError, HTTPStatusError
+
+from langflow.services.base import Service
 from langflow.services.store.schema import (
     ComponentResponse,
     DownloadComponentResponse,
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ from langflow.services.store.utils import process_tags_for_post
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from langflow.services.settings.service import SettingsService
+
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from contextvars import ContextVar
 
@@ -25,12 +27,16 @@ user_data_var: ContextVar[Optional[Dict[str, Any]]] = ContextVar(
 
 
 @contextmanager
-def user_data_context(api_key: str, store_service: "StoreService"):
+def user_data_context(store_service: "StoreService", api_key: Optional[str] = None):
     # Fetch and set user data to the context variable
     if api_key:
-        user_data = store_service._get(
-            f"{store_service.base_url}/users/me", api_key, params={"fields": "id"}
-        )
+        try:
+            user_data = store_service._get(
+                f"{store_service.base_url}/users/me", api_key, params={"fields": "id"}
+            )
+        except HTTPStatusError as exc:
+            if exc.response.status_code == 403:
+                raise ValueError("Invalid API key")
         user_data_var.set(user_data)
     try:
         yield
@@ -199,7 +205,7 @@ class StoreService(Service):
             params["filter"] = json.dumps({"_and": filter_conditions})
 
         results = self._get(self.components_url, api_key, params)
-        return results[0].get("count", 0)
+        return int(results[0].get("count", 0))
 
     @staticmethod
     def build_search_filter_conditions(query: str):
@@ -213,7 +219,7 @@ class StoreService(Service):
 
     def query_components(
         self,
-        api_key: str,
+        api_key: Optional[str] = None,
         search: Optional[str] = None,
         status: Optional[str] = None,
         tags: Optional[List[str]] = None,