diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a950dd9..bf5ae6d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-from setuptools import setup
 import re
 
+from setuptools import setup
+
 PACKAGE_NAME = 'requests_util'
 
-with open('README.md', 'r') as f:
+with open('README.md') as f:
     readme = f.read()
 
-with open(PACKAGE_NAME + '/_version.py', 'r') as f:
+with open(PACKAGE_NAME + '/_version.py') as f:
     text = f.read()
     match = re.match(r'^__version__\s*=\s*(["\'])([\d\.]+)\1$', text)
     version = match.group(2)
@@ -16,9 +17,12 @@ with open(PACKAGE_NAME + '/_version.py', 'r') as f:
 
 def get_short_description(readme: str):
     readme = re.sub(r'#+[^\n]*\n+', '', readme)
-    m = re.search(r'^\s*(\w+[\w\s,]+\.)', readme)
-    readme = m.group(1)
-    return readme
+    m = re.search(r'^\s*(\w+[\w\s,`]+\.)', readme)
+    try:
+        return m.group(1)
+    except AttributeError as err:
+        msg = 'Could not determine short description'
+        raise Exception(msg) from err
 
 
 setup(