diff --git a/admin/apple-actions/index/class-channel.php b/admin/apple-actions/index/class-channel.php
index 48934e1c..c3a67f3e 100644
--- a/admin/apple-actions/index/class-channel.php
+++ b/admin/apple-actions/index/class-channel.php
@@ -26,17 +26,21 @@ class Channel extends API_Action {
 	 */
 	public function perform() {
 		$channel = get_transient( 'apple_news_channel' );
+
 		if ( false === $channel ) {
+			$channel = '';
+
 			if ( $this->is_api_configuration_valid() ) {
 				try {
 					$channel = $this->get_api()->get_channel( $this->get_setting( 'api_channel' ) );
 				} catch ( Request_Exception $e ) {
-					$channel = '';
+					// Do nothing.
+					unset( $e );
 				}
 			}
-		}
 
-		set_transient( 'apple_news_channel', $channel, 300 );
+			set_transient( 'apple_news_channel', $channel, 300 );
+		}
 
 		if ( '' === $channel ) {
 			// Unable to get channel information. This likely means the user entered their API credentials incorrectly.
diff --git a/includes/class-apple-news.php b/includes/class-apple-news.php
index f3aae9de..7036bf48 100644
--- a/includes/class-apple-news.php
+++ b/includes/class-apple-news.php
@@ -378,8 +378,8 @@ public function __construct() {
 		);
 
 		add_action(
-			'init',
-			[ $this, 'action_init' ]
+			'admin_init',
+			[ $this, 'action_admin_init' ]
 		);
 
 		add_filter(
@@ -476,9 +476,11 @@ public function action_enqueue_block_editor_assets(): void {
 	/**
 	 * Action hook callback for init.
 	 *
-	 * @since 1.3.0
+	 * @since 2.7.0
+	 * @since 2.6.2 as action_init()
+	 * @since 1.3.0 as action_plugins_loaded()
 	 */
-	public function action_init(): void {
+	public function action_admin_init(): void {
 
 		// Determine if the database version and code version are the same.
 		$current_version = get_option( 'apple_news_version', '' );