diff --git a/server/app.js b/server/app.js
index 43745506..2a1543b3 100644
--- a/server/app.js
+++ b/server/app.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ try {
     client.on("error", function (err) {
         console.log("Couldn't connect to redis-server, assuming non-clustered run");
         num_processes = 1;
-        startClustered(false);
+        startSingle(false, false);
         client.quit();
     });
     client.on("connect", function() {
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ try {
 } catch(e) {
     console.log("Couldn't connect to redis-server, assuming non-clustered run");
     num_processes = 1;
-    startClustered(false);
+    startSingle(false, false);
 }
 
 function startClustered(redis_enabled) {
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ function startClustered(redis_enabled) {
         var spawn = function(i) {
             workers[i] = cluster.fork();
             workers[i].on('exit', function(code, signal) {
+                if(code == 1) {
+                    process.exit(1);
+                    return;
+                }
                 console.log('respawning worker', i);
                 spawn(i);
             });
diff --git a/server/handlers/db.js b/server/handlers/db.js
index 833993d6..7361e13c 100644
--- a/server/handlers/db.js
+++ b/server/handlers/db.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ try {
 } catch(e) {
     console.log("Error - missing file");
     console.log("Seems you forgot to create the file mongo_config.js in /server/config/. Have a look at mongo_config.example.js.");
-    process.exit();
+    process.exit(1);
 }
 var mongojs = require('mongojs');
 var db = mongojs('mongodb://' + mongo_config.host + '/' + mongo_config.config);
diff --git a/server/handlers/functions.js b/server/handlers/functions.js
index a88ead5f..cc38a225 100644
--- a/server/handlers/functions.js
+++ b/server/handlers/functions.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ try {
 } catch(e) {
     console.log("Error - missing file");
     console.log("Seems you forgot to create the file mongo_config.js in /server/config/. Have a look at mongo_config.example.js.");
-    process.exit();
+    process.exit(1);
 }
 var mongojs = require('mongojs');
 var connected_db = mongojs('mongodb://' + mongo_config.host + '/user_credentials');
diff --git a/server/handlers/search.js b/server/handlers/search.js
index 385a1cb4..c9651fea 100644
--- a/server/handlers/search.js
+++ b/server/handlers/search.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ try {
 } catch(e) {
     console.log("Error - missing file");
     console.log("Seems you forgot to create the file api_key.js in /server/config/. Have a look at api_key.example.js.");
-    process.exit();
+    process.exit(1);
 }
 var request = require('request');
 var db = require(pathThumbnails + '/handlers/db.js');