diff --git a/swh/web/api/apiresponse.py b/swh/web/api/apiresponse.py
--- a/swh/web/api/apiresponse.py
+++ b/swh/web/api/apiresponse.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.shortcuts import render
+from django.utils.cache import add_never_cache_headers
 from django.utils.html import escape
 from rest_framework.exceptions import APIException
 from rest_framework.request import Request
@@ -151,20 +152,25 @@
             if not doc_data["noargs"]:
                 doc_data["endpoint_path"][-1]["path"] += "/doc/"
 
-        return render(
+        response = render(
             request, "api/apidoc.html", doc_data, status=doc_data["status_code"]
         )
 
     # otherwise simply return the raw data and let DRF picks
     # the correct renderer (JSON or YAML)
     else:
-        return Response(
+        response = Response(
             data,
             headers=headers,
             content_type=request.accepted_media_type,
             status=doc_data["status_code"],
         )
 
+    if getattr(request, "never_cache", False):
+        add_never_cache_headers(response)
+
+    return response
+
 
 def error_response(
     request: Request, exception: Exception, doc_data: Dict[str, Any]
diff --git a/swh/web/api/apiurls.py b/swh/web/api/apiurls.py
--- a/swh/web/api/apiurls.py
+++ b/swh/web/api/apiurls.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 
 from django.http.response import HttpResponseBase
-from django.utils.cache import add_never_cache_headers
 from rest_framework.decorators import api_view
 
 from swh.web.api import throttling
@@ -92,6 +91,8 @@
         @throttling.throttle_scope(throttle_scope)
         @functools.wraps(f)
         def api_view_f(request, **kwargs):
+            # never_cache will be handled in apiresponse module
+            request.never_cache = never_cache
             response = f(request, **kwargs)
             doc_data = None
             # check if response has been forwarded by api_doc decorator
@@ -106,9 +107,6 @@
             else:
                 api_response = response
 
-            if never_cache:
-                add_never_cache_headers(api_response)
-
             return api_response
 
         # small hacks for correctly generating API endpoints index doc
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/api/test_apiurls.py b/swh/web/tests/api/test_apiurls.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/api/test_apiurls.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/api/test_apiurls.py
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@
     return {"result": int(int_arg)}
 
 
+@api_route(
+    r"/never/cache/route/error/",
+    "api-1-never-cache-route-with-error",
+    never_cache=True,
+)
+def api_never_cache_route_with_error(request):
+    raise Exception("error")
+
+
 def test_api_route_with_cache(api_client):
     url = reverse("api-1-some-route", url_args={"int_arg": 1})
     resp = check_api_get_responses(api_client, url, status_code=200)
@@ -30,9 +39,19 @@
     assert "Cache-Control" not in resp
 
 
+_cache_control = "max-age=0, no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate"
+
+
 def test_api_route_never_cache(api_client):
     url = reverse("api-1-never-cache-route", url_args={"int_arg": 1})
     resp = check_api_get_responses(api_client, url, status_code=200)
     assert resp.data == {"result": 1}
     assert "Cache-Control" in resp
-    assert resp["Cache-Control"] == "max-age=0, no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate"
+    assert resp["Cache-Control"] == _cache_control
+
+
+def test_api_route_never_cache_with_error(api_client):
+    url = reverse("api-1-never-cache-route-with-error")
+    resp = check_api_get_responses(api_client, url, status_code=500)
+    assert "Cache-Control" in resp
+    assert resp["Cache-Control"] == _cache_control