diff --git a/cmd/haproxy-lb/main.go b/cmd/haproxy-lb/main.go
index 2da9db1..2da4a4b 100644
--- a/cmd/haproxy-lb/main.go
+++ b/cmd/haproxy-lb/main.go
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ var (
 	log        logr.Logger
 )
 
+func fatal(err error, msg string) {
+	log.Error(err, msg)
+	os.Exit(1)
+}
+
 func main() {
 	klog.InitFlags(nil)
 	flag.StringVar(&configFile, "config", "haproxy-lb.yaml", "haproxy-lb config file")
@@ -31,7 +36,7 @@ func main() {
 	log.Info("starting haproxy-lb", "version", version)
 	cfg, err := config.ParseFile(configFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		klog.Fatalf("init failed: %s", err)
+		fatal(err, "init failed")
 	}
 
 	var c cluster.Cluster
@@ -42,23 +47,25 @@ func main() {
 		log.Info("creating cluster", "mode", "etcd")
 		c = etcd.NewCluster(klogr.New().WithName("etcd"))
 	}
+	log.Info("starting api server", "address", cfg.Server.Listen, "tls", cfg.Server.TLS != nil)
 	srv, err := api.NewServer(cfg, log.WithName("api"))
 	if err != nil {
-		klog.Fatalf("init failed: %s", err)
+		fatal(err, "init failed")
 	}
 
+	log.Info("starting vip-controller")
 	callbacks, err := controller.NewLBController(cfg, srv, log.WithName("vip-controller"))
 	if err != nil {
-		klog.Fatalf("init failed: %s", err)
+		fatal(err, "init failed")
 	}
 	err = c.SetCallbacks(callbacks)
 	if err != nil {
-		klog.Fatalf("init failed: %s", err)
+		fatal(err, "init failed")
 	}
 	go func() {
 		err = c.Start(cfg)
 		if err != nil {
-			klog.Fatalf("init failed: %s", err)
+			fatal(err, "init failed")
 		}
 	}()
 	go func() {
diff --git a/pkg/api/server.go b/pkg/api/server.go
index 86d6220..30f4c3f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/server.go
+++ b/pkg/api/server.go
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ func (s *Server) UpdateDB(db *db.DB) error {
 }
 
 func (s *Server) start() {
-	<-s.init
 	s.srv = &http.Server{
 		Handler:      s.mux,
 		TLSConfig:    s.tlsConfig,
@@ -129,6 +128,7 @@ func (s *Server) start() {
 		WriteTimeout: 10 * time.Second,
 	}
 	go func() {
+		<-s.init
 		err := s.srv.Serve(s.listen)
 		if err != nil {
 			s.log.Error(err, "")
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 387e2db..1ca96ec 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type CallbackContext interface {
 	logr.Logger
 	KV
 	ID() string
-	Fatal(error, string)
+	Fatal(error)
 }
 
 type Callbacks struct {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/vip.go b/pkg/controller/vip.go
index 16ad754..293f604 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/vip.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/vip.go
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ func NewLBController(cfg *config.Config, srv *api.Server, log logr.Logger) (call
 			db := db.New(cc)
 			err := srv.UpdateDB(db)
 			if err != nil {
-				cc.Fatal(err, "error initialising api server as leader")
+				cc.Error(err, "error initialising api server as leader")
+				cc.Fatal(err)
 				return
 			}
 			t := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 10)
@@ -79,7 +80,8 @@ func NewLBController(cfg *config.Config, srv *api.Server, log logr.Logger) (call
 			db := db.New(cc)
 			err := srv.UpdateDB(db)
 			if err != nil {
-				cc.Fatal(err, "error initialising api server as leader")
+				cc.Error(err, "error initialising api server as follower")
+				cc.Fatal(err)
 				return
 			}
 			t := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 10)
diff --git a/pkg/etcd/cluster.go b/pkg/etcd/cluster.go
index 7e5dc04..b1d9645 100644
--- a/pkg/etcd/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/etcd/cluster.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type Cluster struct {
 	keyID         string
 	session       bool
 	cancelSession func()
+	fatal         error
 }
 
 func NewCluster(log logr.Logger) cluster.Cluster {
diff --git a/pkg/etcd/etcd.go b/pkg/etcd/etcd.go
index 47fa885..6b19c50 100644
--- a/pkg/etcd/etcd.go
+++ b/pkg/etcd/etcd.go
@@ -155,10 +155,10 @@ func (c *Cluster) Start(etcdcfg *config.Config) error {
 			}
 			s.Close()
 			close(c.done)
-			return nil
+			return c.fatal
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return c.fatal
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) leaderID(r *clientv3.GetResponse, err error) string {
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) Stepdown() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) Fatal(err error, msg string) {
-	c.Error(err, "a fatal error occurred", "message", msg)
+func (c *Cluster) Fatal(err error) {
+	c.fatal = err
 	c.Stop()
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/raft/cluster.go b/pkg/raft/cluster.go
index f99f13d..3df7eb5 100644
--- a/pkg/raft/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/raft/cluster.go
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ type Cluster struct {
 	done      chan struct{}
 	callbacks cluster.Callbacks
 
-	id string
+	id    string
+	fatal error
 }
 
 func NewCluster(log logr.Logger) cluster.Cluster {
diff --git a/pkg/raft/raft.go b/pkg/raft/raft.go
index 58470a5..9ab2aa7 100644
--- a/pkg/raft/raft.go
+++ b/pkg/raft/raft.go
@@ -160,10 +160,10 @@ func (c *Cluster) Start(raftcfg *config.Config) error {
 				c.callbacks.Cleanup(ctx, c)
 			}
 			close(c.done)
-			return nil
+			return c.fatal
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return c.fatal
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) leader(ctx context.Context) {
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) Stepdown() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) Fatal(err error, msg string) {
-	c.Error(err, "a fatal error occurred", "message", msg)
+func (c *Cluster) Fatal(err error) {
+	c.fatal = err
 	c.Stop()
 }