diff --git a/pkg/cli/cli.go b/pkg/cli/cli.go
index 59fcc56..8ddd3cd 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/cli.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/cli.go
@@ -5,8 +5,22 @@ import (
 	"os"
 )
 
-var config = InitializeConfig()
-var store = InitializeStore()
+var config *Config
+var store *Store
+
+func init() {
+	var err error
+
+	config, err = NewConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		Fatal("%v\n", err)
+	}
+
+	store, err = NewStore()
+	if err != nil {
+		Fatal("%v\n", err)
+	}
+}
 
 func Fatal(format string, args ...any) {
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, format, args...)
diff --git a/pkg/cli/config.go b/pkg/cli/config.go
index 3c4daf3..0458a3a 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/config.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/config.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func getConfigDir() string {
 	return configDir
 }
 
-func InitializeConfig() *Config {
+func NewConfig() (*Config, error) {
 	configFile := filepath.Join(getConfigDir(), "config.yaml")
 
 	configBytes, err := os.ReadFile(configFile)
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ func InitializeConfig() *Config {
 
 		file, err := os.Create(configFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			Fatal("Could not open config file for writing: %v", err)
-			return nil
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not open config file for writing: %v", err)
 		}
 
 		fmt.Printf("Writing default configuration to: %s\n", configFile)
@@ -49,15 +48,13 @@ func InitializeConfig() *Config {
 
 		_, err = file.Write(bytes)
 		if err != nil {
-			Fatal("Could not save default configuration: %v", err)
-			return nil
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not save default configuration: %v", err)
 		}
 	} else if err != nil {
-		Fatal("Could not read config file: %v", err)
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not read config file: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	config := &Config{}
 	yaml.Unmarshal(configBytes, config)
-	return config
+	return config, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cli/store.go b/pkg/cli/store.go
index 9776fd9..3e468e7 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/store.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/store.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
@@ -44,12 +45,11 @@ func getDataDir() string {
 	return dataDir
 }
 
-func InitializeStore() *Store {
+func NewStore() (*Store, error) {
 	databaseFile := filepath.Join(getDataDir(), "conversations.db")
 	db, err := gorm.Open(sqlite.Open(databaseFile), &gorm.Config{})
 	if err != nil {
-		Fatal("Error establishing connection to store: %v\n", err)
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error establishing connection to store: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	models := []any{
@@ -60,13 +60,12 @@ func InitializeStore() *Store {
 	for _, x := range models {
 		err := db.AutoMigrate(x)
 		if err != nil {
-			Fatal("Could not perform database migrations: %v\n", err)
-			return nil
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not perform database migrations: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
 
 	_sqids, _ := sqids.New(sqids.Options{MinLength: 4})
-	return &Store{db, _sqids}
+	return &Store{db, _sqids}, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Store) SaveConversation(conversation *Conversation) error {