diff --git a/relay/__init__.py b/relay/__init__.py
index fed32d8..87ab5ef 100644
--- a/relay/__init__.py
+++ b/relay/__init__.py
@@ -9,7 +9,23 @@ import yaml
 
 def load_config():
     with open('relay.yaml') as f:
-         return yaml.load(f)
+        yaml_file = yaml.load(f)
+        whitelist = yaml_file['ap'].get('whitelist', [])
+        blocked = yaml_file['ap'].get('blocked_instances', [])
+
+        config = {
+            'db': yaml_file.get('db', 'relay.jsonld'),
+            'listen': yaml_file.get('listen', '0.0.0.0'),
+            'port': int(yaml_file.get('port', 8080)),
+            'note': yaml_file.get('note', 'Make a note about your instance here.'),
+            'ap': {
+                'blocked_instances': [] if blocked is None else blocked,
+                'host': yaml_file['ap'].get('host', 'localhost'),
+                'whitelist': [] if whitelist is None else whitelist,
+                'whitelist_enabled': yaml_file['ap'].get('whitelist_enabled', False)
+            }
+        }
+        return config
 
 
 CONFIG = load_config()
diff --git a/relay/actor.py b/relay/actor.py
index e35faa6..4c61f75 100644
--- a/relay/actor.py
+++ b/relay/actor.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ from . import app, CONFIG
 from .remote_actor import fetch_actor
 
 
-AP_CONFIG = CONFIG.get('ap', {'host': 'localhost','blocked_instances':[], 'whitelist_enabled': False, 'whitelist': []})
+AP_CONFIG = CONFIG['ap']
 CACHE_SIZE = CONFIG.get('cache-size', 16384)
 
 
diff --git a/relay/database.py b/relay/database.py
index 6a99d49..299cbb8 100644
--- a/relay/database.py
+++ b/relay/database.py
@@ -2,19 +2,24 @@ import asyncio
 import logging
 import urllib.parse
 import simplejson as json
+from sys import exit
 
 
 from . import CONFIG
-AP_CONFIG = CONFIG.get('ap', {'blocked_instances':[], 'whitelist_enabled': False, 'whitelist': []})
-
+AP_CONFIG = CONFIG['ap']
 
 try:
     with open(CONFIG['db']) as f:
         DATABASE = json.load(f)
-except:
+
+except FileNotFoundError:
     logging.info('No database was found, making a new one.')
     DATABASE = {}
 
+except json.decoder.JSONDecodeError:
+    logging.info('Invalid JSON in db. Exiting...')
+    exit(1)
+
 following = DATABASE.get('relay-list', [])
 for inbox in following:
     if urllib.parse.urlsplit(inbox).hostname in AP_CONFIG['blocked_instances']: