diff --git a/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go b/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go
index 23c3d8da..bdeff355 100644
--- a/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go
+++ b/cmd/populate_blocks/main.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/cmd"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/geth"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/history"
-	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -16,9 +15,8 @@ func main() {
 	startingBlockNumber := flag.Int("starting-number", -1, "First block to fill from")
 	flag.Parse()
 	config := cmd.LoadConfig(*environment)
-
 	blockchain := geth.NewGethBlockchain(config.Client.IPCPath)
-	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(config.Database)
+	repository := cmd.LoadPostgres(config.Database)
 	numberOfBlocksCreated := history.PopulateBlocks(blockchain, repository, int64(*startingBlockNumber))
 	fmt.Printf("Populated %d blocks", numberOfBlocksCreated)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/run/main.go b/cmd/run/main.go
index 7b9c094c..2a10fd4f 100644
--- a/cmd/run/main.go
+++ b/cmd/run/main.go
@@ -10,15 +10,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/core"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/geth"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/observers"
-	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
 )
 
 func main() {
 	environment := flag.String("environment", "", "Environment name")
 	flag.Parse()
 	config := cmd.LoadConfig(*environment)
-
-	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(config.Database)
+	repository := cmd.LoadPostgres(config.Database)
 	fmt.Printf("Creating Geth Blockchain to: %s\n", config.Client.IPCPath)
 	listener := blockchain_listener.NewBlockchainListener(
 		geth.NewGethBlockchain(config.Client.IPCPath),
diff --git a/cmd/show_contract_summary/main.go b/cmd/show_contract_summary/main.go
index 98d6d55b..1bb5af9f 100644
--- a/cmd/show_contract_summary/main.go
+++ b/cmd/show_contract_summary/main.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/cmd"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/geth"
-	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/watched_contracts"
 )
 
@@ -18,9 +17,8 @@ func main() {
 	contractHash := flag.String("contract-hash", "", "Contract hash to show summary")
 	flag.Parse()
 	config := cmd.LoadConfig(*environment)
-
 	blockchain := geth.NewGethBlockchain(config.Client.IPCPath)
-	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(config.Database)
+	repository := cmd.LoadPostgres(config.Database)
 	contractSummary, err := watched_contracts.NewSummary(blockchain, repository, *contractHash)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalln(err)
diff --git a/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go b/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go
index 9d15b3fb..04fa4552 100644
--- a/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go
+++ b/cmd/subscribe_contract/main.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/cmd"
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/core"
-	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
 )
 
 func main() {
@@ -13,6 +12,6 @@ func main() {
 	contractHash := flag.String("contract-hash", "", "contract-hash=x1234")
 	flag.Parse()
 	config := cmd.LoadConfig(*environment)
-	repository := repositories.NewPostgres(config.Database)
+	repository := cmd.LoadPostgres(config.Database)
 	repository.CreateWatchedContract(core.WatchedContract{Hash: *contractHash})
 }
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index 0a7a0a0e..58df140e 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 
 	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/8thlight/vulcanizedb/pkg/repositories"
 )
 
 func LoadConfig(environment string) config.Config {
@@ -13,3 +14,11 @@ func LoadConfig(environment string) config.Config {
 	}
 	return *cfg
 }
+
+func LoadPostgres(database config.Database) repositories.Postgres {
+	repository, err := repositories.NewPostgres(database)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Error loading postgres\n%v", err)
+	}
+	return repository
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 34543aa3..dfbf62e9 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package config
 
 import (
-	"log"
 	"os"
 
 	"fmt"
@@ -50,8 +49,9 @@ func parseConfigFile(filePath string) (*Config, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	} else {
-		if _, err := toml.DecodeFile(filePath, &cfg); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		_, err := toml.DecodeFile(filePath, &cfg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		return &cfg, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/postgres.go b/pkg/repositories/postgres.go
index 417168e2..7d0d4d36 100644
--- a/pkg/repositories/postgres.go
+++ b/pkg/repositories/postgres.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package repositories
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
-	"log"
 
 	"context"
 
@@ -19,16 +18,17 @@ type Postgres struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	ErrDBInsertFailed = errors.New("postgres: insert failed")
+	ErrDBInsertFailed     = errors.New("postgres: insert failed")
+	ErrDBConnectionFailed = errors.New("postgres: db connection failed")
 )
 
-func NewPostgres(databaseConfig config.Database) Postgres {
+func NewPostgres(databaseConfig config.Database) (Postgres, error) {
 	connectString := config.DbConnectionString(databaseConfig)
 	db, err := sqlx.Connect("postgres", connectString)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Error connecting to DB: %v\n", err)
+		return Postgres{}, ErrDBConnectionFailed
 	}
-	return Postgres{Db: db}
+	return Postgres{Db: db}, nil
 }
 
 func (repository Postgres) CreateWatchedContract(contract core.WatchedContract) error {
@@ -42,11 +42,8 @@ func (repository Postgres) CreateWatchedContract(contract core.WatchedContract)
 
 func (repository Postgres) IsWatchedContract(contractHash string) bool {
 	var exists bool
-	err := repository.Db.QueryRow(
+	repository.Db.QueryRow(
 		`SELECT exists(SELECT 1 FROM watched_contracts WHERE contract_hash=$1) FROM watched_contracts`, contractHash).Scan(&exists)
-	if err != nil && err != sql.ErrNoRows {
-		log.Fatalf("error checking if row exists %v", err)
-	}
 	return exists
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/repositories/postgres_test.go b/pkg/repositories/postgres_test.go
index adfcef6d..e50c8728 100644
--- a/pkg/repositories/postgres_test.go
+++ b/pkg/repositories/postgres_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Postgres repository", func() {
 
 	testing.AssertRepositoryBehavior(func() repositories.Repository {
 		cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
-		repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
+		repository, _ := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 		testing.ClearData(repository)
 		return repository
 	})
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Postgres repository", func() {
 			Transactions: []core.Transaction{},
 		}
 		cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
-		repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
+		repository, _ := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 
 		err := repository.CreateBlock(badBlock)
 		savedBlock := repository.FindBlockByNumber(123)
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ var _ = Describe("Postgres repository", func() {
 		Expect(savedBlock).To(BeNil())
 	})
 
+	It("throws error when can't connect to the database", func() {
+		invalidDatabase := config.Database{}
+		_, err := repositories.NewPostgres(invalidDatabase)
+		Expect(err).To(Equal(repositories.ErrDBConnectionFailed))
+	})
+
 	It("does not commit block or transactions if transaction is invalid", func() {
 		//badHash violates db To field length
 		badHash := fmt.Sprintf("x %s", strings.Repeat("1", 100))
@@ -58,7 +64,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Postgres repository", func() {
 			Transactions: []core.Transaction{badTransaction},
 		}
 		cfg, _ := config.NewConfig("private")
-		repository := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
+		repository, _ := repositories.NewPostgres(cfg.Database)
 
 		err := repository.CreateBlock(block)
 		savedBlock := repository.FindBlockByNumber(123)