diff --git a/gateway/gateway.go b/gateway/gateway.go
index 52554b99..30836de7 100644
--- a/gateway/gateway.go
+++ b/gateway/gateway.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const apiProtocol = "api"
 
 // New creates a new Gateway object associated with the specified router and
 // following the given configuration.
-func New(rootLogger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Gateway, r *Router) *Gateway {
+func New(rootLogger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Gateway, r *Router) (*Gateway, error) {
 	logger := rootLogger.WithFields(logrus.Fields{"prefix": "gateway"})
 
 	cache, _ := lru.New(5000)
@@ -67,13 +67,25 @@ func New(rootLogger *logrus.Logger, cfg *config.Gateway, r *Router) *Gateway {
 	persistentMessageStorePath, usePersistent := gw.Config.GetString("PersistentMessageStorePath")
 	if usePersistent {
 		rootPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", persistentMessageStorePath, gw.Name)
-		os.MkdirAll(rootPath, os.ModePerm)
+		err := os.MkdirAll(rootPath, os.ModePerm)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 
-		gw.MessageStore = gw.getMessageMapStore(fmt.Sprintf("%s/Messages", rootPath))
-		gw.CanonicalStore = gw.getMessageMapStore(fmt.Sprintf("%s/Canonical", rootPath))
+		MessageStore, err := gw.getMessageMapStore(fmt.Sprintf("%s/Messages", rootPath))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		gw.MessageStore = MessageStore
+
+		CanonicalStore, err := gw.getMessageMapStore(fmt.Sprintf("%s/Canonical", rootPath))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		gw.CanonicalStore = CanonicalStore
 	}
 
-	return gw
+	return gw, nil
 }
 
 func (gw *Gateway) SetMessageMap(canonicalMsgID string, msgIDs []*BrMsgID) {
diff --git a/gateway/persistent.go b/gateway/persistent.go
index f19ede23..e1e659e8 100644
--- a/gateway/persistent.go
+++ b/gateway/persistent.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/philippgille/gokv/encoding"
 )
 
-func (gw *Gateway) getMessageMapStore(path string) gokv.Store {
+func (gw *Gateway) getMessageMapStore(path string) (gokv.Store, error) {
 	options := badgerdb.Options{
 		Dir:   path,
 		Codec: encoding.Gob,
@@ -16,11 +16,12 @@ func (gw *Gateway) getMessageMapStore(path string) gokv.Store {
 
 	store, err := badgerdb.NewStore(options)
 	if err != nil {
-		gw.logger.Error(err)
 		gw.logger.Errorf("Could not connect to db: %s", path)
+		gw.logger.Error(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return store
+	return store, nil
 }
 
 func (gw *Gateway) getCanonicalMessageFromStore(messageID string) string {
diff --git a/gateway/router.go b/gateway/router.go
index 5010730c..9521d354 100644
--- a/gateway/router.go
+++ b/gateway/router.go
@@ -50,7 +50,12 @@ func NewRouter(rootLogger *logrus.Logger, cfg config.Config, bridgeMap map[strin
 		if _, ok := r.Gateways[entry.Name]; ok {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Gateway with name %s already exists", entry.Name)
 		}
-		r.Gateways[entry.Name] = New(rootLogger, entry, r)
+		gw, err := New(rootLogger, entry, r)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		r.Gateways[entry.Name] = gw
 	}
 	return r, nil
 }