diff --git a/src/tsconfig.cpp b/src/tsconfig.cpp
index 150c7ce0..08185546 100644
--- a/src/tsconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/tsconfig.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ Option<std::string> Config::fetch_file_contents(const std::string & file_path) {
     std::string content((std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(infile)), (std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()));
     infile.close();
 
+    if(content.empty()) {
+        return Option<std::string>(400, std::string("Empty file at: ") + file_path);
+    }
+
     return Option<std::string>(content);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/typesense_server_utils.cpp b/src/typesense_server_utils.cpp
index 2c664d68..5f970d5c 100644
--- a/src/typesense_server_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/typesense_server_utils.cpp
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ int start_raft_server(ReplicationState& replication_state, const std::string& st
 
     if(!nodes_config_op.ok()) {
         LOG(ERROR) << nodes_config_op.error();
-        exit(-1);
+        return -1;
     }
 
     butil::ip_t peering_ip;