diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index bd4004d..4cdb35b 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@ func makeDefaultConfig() Config {
 	}
 }
 
-func (config *Config) load() {
+func (config *Config) load() error {
 	j := jsonc.New()
 
 	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("could not get home directory!", err)
+		log.Println("could not get home directory!")
+		return err
 	}
 
 	configPath := homeDir + "/.config/gopaper/config.jsonc"
@@ -42,12 +43,14 @@ func (config *Config) load() {
 			defaultConfig := makeDefaultConfig()
 			defaultConfigJSON, err := json.MarshalIndent(defaultConfig, "", "")
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal("could not encode default config!", err)
+				log.Println("could not encode default config!")
+				return err
 			}
 			file, err := os.Create(configPath)
 			defer file.Close()
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatal("could not create config file!", err)
+				log.Println("could not create config file!")
+				return err
 			}
 			file.Write(defaultConfigJSON)
 			*config = defaultConfig
@@ -57,7 +60,8 @@ func (config *Config) load() {
 		configRaw = j.Strip(configRaw)
 		err = json.Unmarshal(configRaw, &config)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal("Couldn't unmarshal config!\n", err)
+			log.Println("Couldn't unmarshal config!")
+			return err
 		}
 
 	}
@@ -71,4 +75,5 @@ func (config *Config) load() {
 	}
 
 	config.ImagesDir = homeDir + "/" + config.ImagesDir + "/"
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index d5f7f6a..22ae7f6 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-	// "log"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
 )
@@ -10,9 +9,13 @@ import (
 var config Config
 
 func main() {
+	err := config.load()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Println("failed to load config", err)
+		cleanExit(1)
+	}
 
-	config.load()
-	fmt.Printf("%+v\n", config)
+	log.Printf("%+v\n", config)
 
 	var waitGroup sync.WaitGroup
 	waitGroup.Add(1)