diff --git a/homeassistant/components/nest/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/nest/__init__.py
index 2a5f3850fe4..076b9a58814 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/nest/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/nest/__init__.py
@@ -278,10 +278,10 @@ class NestEventViewBase(HomeAssistantView, ABC):
             )
         try:
             media = await self.load_media(nest_device, event_token)
-        except DecodeException as err:
-            raise HomeAssistantError(
-                "Even token was invalid: %s" % event_token
-            ) from err
+        except DecodeException:
+            return self._json_error(
+                f"Event token was invalid '{event_token}'", HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND
+            )
         except ApiException as err:
             raise HomeAssistantError("Unable to fetch media for event") from err
         if not media:
diff --git a/tests/components/nest/test_media_source.py b/tests/components/nest/test_media_source.py
index c733d4d3cfe..1536d0bee1e 100644
--- a/tests/components/nest/test_media_source.py
+++ b/tests/components/nest/test_media_source.py
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ async def test_event_media_render_invalid_event_id(hass, auth, hass_client):
     assert device.name == DEVICE_NAME
 
     client = await hass_client()
-    response = await client.get("/api/nest/event_media/{device.id}/invalid-event-id")
+    response = await client.get(f"/api/nest/event_media/{device.id}/invalid-event-id")
     assert response.status == HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND, (
         "Response not matched: %s" % response
     )
@@ -886,7 +886,9 @@ async def test_event_media_failure(hass, auth, hass_client):
     subscriber = await async_setup_devices(
         hass, auth, CAMERA_DEVICE_TYPE, CAMERA_TRAITS
     )
+    received_events = async_capture_events(hass, NEST_EVENT)
 
+    # Failure from server when fetching media
     auth.responses = [
         aiohttp.web.Response(status=HTTPStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR),
     ]
@@ -910,16 +912,24 @@ async def test_event_media_failure(hass, auth, hass_client):
     assert device
     assert device.name == DEVICE_NAME
 
+    # Verify events are published correctly
+    assert len(received_events) == 1
+    received_event = received_events[0]
+    assert received_event.data["device_id"] == device.id
+    assert received_event.data["type"] == "camera_person"
+    event_identifier = received_event.data["nest_event_id"]
+
     # Resolving the event links to the media
     media = await media_source.async_resolve_media(
-        hass, f"{const.URI_SCHEME}{DOMAIN}/{device.id}/{EVENT_SESSION_ID}"
+        hass, f"{const.URI_SCHEME}{DOMAIN}/{device.id}/{event_identifier}"
     )
-    assert media.url == f"/api/nest/event_media/{device.id}/{EVENT_SESSION_ID}"
+    assert media.url == f"/api/nest/event_media/{device.id}/{event_identifier}"
     assert media.mime_type == "image/jpeg"
 
+    # Media is not available to be fetched
     client = await hass_client()
     response = await client.get(media.url)
-    assert response.status == HTTPStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, (
+    assert response.status == HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND, (
         "Response not matched: %s" % response
     )