diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 6cdef8e..7797cd8 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const http         = require('http');
 const compress     = require('compression');
 const cors         = require('cors');
 
-const db       = require('./models/db')(process.env.spec);
+const db       = require('./models/db')
 const index    = require('./routes/index');
 const api      = require('./routes/api');
 const stats    = require('./routes/stats');
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ const store    = require('./store');
 
 const app    = express();
 const server = http.createServer(app);
-require('./sockets.js')(server);
 
 // view engine setup
 app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, '.viewsMin'));
@@ -53,7 +52,9 @@ app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
 
 // Load and initialize generators before starting server
 (async() => {
+  await db(process.env.spec);
   await require('./loadGenerators')();
+  require('./sockets.js')(server);
   startServer();
 })();
 
diff --git a/models/db.js b/models/db.js
index e9e37e9..0ac92c8 100644
--- a/models/db.js
+++ b/models/db.js
@@ -1,17 +1,24 @@
 const mongoose = require('mongoose');
 const settings = require('../settings');
 
-module.exports = testEnv => {
+module.exports = async testEnv => {
   const dbName = settings.db + (testEnv ? '-test' : '');
 
-  mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/' + dbName, {
-    useNewUrlParser: true,
-    useUnifiedTopology: true,
-    useFindAndModify: false,
-  });
-  mongoose.set('useCreateIndex', true);
-
   const db = mongoose.connection;
+  db.on('connecting', console.log.bind(console, '[database] Connecting to MongoDB...'));
   db.on('connected', console.log.bind(console, '[database] Connected to MongoDB.'));
-  db.on('error', console.error.bind(console, '[database] Error occured while connecting to MongoDB.'));
+  db.on('error', console.error.bind(console, '[database] Error occured in MongoDB connection.'));
+
+  try {
+    await mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/' + dbName, {
+      useNewUrlParser: true,
+      useUnifiedTopology: true,
+      useFindAndModify: false,
+    });
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('[database] Error occured while connecting to MongoDB. Is it running?');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  mongoose.set('useCreateIndex', true);
 };
\ No newline at end of file