diff --git a/nomic/dataset.py b/nomic/dataset.py
index fce4272..52d6b95 100644
--- a/nomic/dataset.py
+++ b/nomic/dataset.py
@@ -202,9 +202,12 @@ def _get_organization_by_slug(self, slug: str):
             self.atlas_api_path + f"/v1/organization/{slug}",
             headers=self.header,
         )
-        if response.status_code != 200:
+        if response.status_code in [401, 403, 404]:
             raise Exception(f"Organization not found: {slug}")
-
+        
+        if response.status_code != 200:
+            raise Exception(f"Could not access organization with slug {slug}: {response.text}")
+        
         return response.json()["id"]
 
     def _get_dataset_by_slug_identifier(self, identifier: str):
@@ -216,40 +219,24 @@ def _get_dataset_by_slug_identifier(self, identifier: str):
         Returns:
             Returns the requested dataset.
         """
-
-        if not self.is_valid_dataset_identifier(identifier=identifier):
-            raise Exception("Invalid dataset identifier")
-
-        organization_slug = identifier.split("/")[0]
-        project_slug = identifier.split("/")[1]
+        try:
+            organization_slug, project_slug = identifier.split("/")
+        except ValueError:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid dataset identifier {identifier}")
+        
         response = requests.get(
             self.atlas_api_path + f"/v1/project/{organization_slug}/{project_slug}",
             headers=self.header,
         )
 
-        if response.status_code == 403:
-            raise ValueError(response.json()["detail"])
+        if response.status_code in [401, 403, 404]:
+            raise ValueError(response.json().get("detail", "Unable to find dataset"))
 
         if response.status_code != 200:
-            return None
+            raise Exception(f"Could not access dataset with identifier {identifier}: {response.text}")
 
         return response.json()
 
-    def is_valid_dataset_identifier(self, identifier: str):
-        """
-        Checks if a string is a valid identifier for a dataset
-
-        Args:
-            identifer: the organization slug and dataset slug separated by a slash
-
-        Returns:
-            Returns the requested dataset.
-        """
-        slugs = identifier.split("/")
-        if "/" not in identifier or len(slugs) != 2:
-            return False
-        return True
-
     def _get_index_job(self, job_id: str):
         """
 
@@ -794,32 +781,31 @@ def __init__(
             self.meta = self._get_project_by_id(dataset_id)
             return
 
-        if not self.is_valid_dataset_identifier(identifier=str(identifier)):
+        if identifier and not "/" in identifier and re.match(r"^[a-z0-9-]+$", identifier):
+            # If the identifier is sluggy looking, assume the user is trying to load a project in their default organization.
             default_org_slug = self._get_current_users_main_organization()["slug"]
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Received identifier `{identifier}` that looks like a project name. Assuming you meant `{default_org_slug}/{identifier}`."
+                " This behavior is deprecated and will be removed in a future version."
+            )
             identifier = default_org_slug + "/" + identifier
 
-        dataset = self._get_dataset_by_slug_identifier(identifier=str(identifier))
-
-        if dataset:  # dataset already exists
+        try:
+            dataset = self._get_dataset_by_slug_identifier(identifier=str(identifier))
             logger.info(f"Loading existing dataset `{identifier}`.")
-            dataset_id = dataset["id"]
-
-        if dataset_id is None:  # if there is no existing project, make a new one.
-            if unique_id_field is None:  # if not all parameters are specified, we weren't trying to make a project
-                raise ValueError(f"Dataset `{identifier}` does not exist.")
-
-            # if modality is None:
-            #     raise ValueError("You must specify a modality when creating a new dataset.")
-            #
-            # assert modality in ['text', 'embedding'], "Modality must be either `text` or `embedding`"
-            assert identifier is not None
-
-            dataset_id = self._create_project(
-                identifier=identifier,
-                description=description,
-                unique_id_field=unique_id_field,
-                is_public=is_public,
-            )
+            dataset_id = dataset["id"]            
+        except Exception:
+            if unique_id_field is None:
+                # if not all parameters are specified, we weren't trying to make a project
+                raise
+            else:
+                assert identifier is not None
+                dataset_id = self._create_project(
+                    identifier=identifier,
+                    description=description,
+                    unique_id_field=unique_id_field,
+                    is_public=is_public,
+                )
 
         self.meta = self._get_project_by_id(project_id=dataset_id)