diff --git a/crates/core/src/database_instance_context.rs b/crates/core/src/database_instance_context.rs
index 8b0b7028d4c..f9f34d2e4ed 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/database_instance_context.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/database_instance_context.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ use crate::messages::control_db::Database;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 
+pub type Result<T> = anyhow::Result<T>;
+
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct DatabaseInstanceContext {
     pub database_instance_id: u64,
@@ -24,7 +26,12 @@ pub struct DatabaseInstanceContext {
 }
 
 impl DatabaseInstanceContext {
-    pub fn from_database(config: Config, database: &Database, instance_id: u64, root_db_path: PathBuf) -> Arc<Self> {
+    pub fn from_database(
+        config: Config,
+        database: &Database,
+        instance_id: u64,
+        root_db_path: PathBuf,
+    ) -> Result<Arc<Self>> {
         let mut db_path = root_db_path;
         db_path.extend([&*database.address.to_hex(), &*instance_id.to_string()]);
         db_path.push("database");
@@ -60,12 +67,12 @@ impl DatabaseInstanceContext {
         db_path: PathBuf,
         log_path: &Path,
         publisher_address: Option<Address>,
-    ) -> Arc<Self> {
+    ) -> Result<Arc<Self>> {
         let message_log = match config.storage {
             Storage::Memory => None,
             Storage::Disk => {
                 let mlog_path = db_path.join("mlog");
-                Some(Arc::new(Mutex::new(MessageLog::open(mlog_path).unwrap())))
+                Some(Arc::new(Mutex::new(MessageLog::open(mlog_path)?)))
             }
         };
 
@@ -73,30 +80,29 @@ impl DatabaseInstanceContext {
             Storage::Memory => Box::<MemoryObjectDB>::default(),
             Storage::Disk => {
                 let odb_path = db_path.join("odb");
-                DatabaseInstanceContext::make_default_ostorage(odb_path)
+                Self::make_default_ostorage(odb_path)?
             }
         };
         let odb = Arc::new(Mutex::new(odb));
+        let relational_db = RelationalDB::open(db_path, message_log, odb, address, config.fsync != FsyncPolicy::Never)?;
 
-        Arc::new(Self {
+        Ok(Arc::new(Self {
             database_instance_id,
             database_id,
             identity,
             address,
             logger: Arc::new(DatabaseLogger::open(log_path)),
-            relational_db: Arc::new(
-                RelationalDB::open(db_path, message_log, odb, address, config.fsync != FsyncPolicy::Never).unwrap(),
-            ),
+            relational_db: Arc::new(relational_db),
             publisher_address,
-        })
+        }))
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn make_default_ostorage(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Box<dyn ObjectDB + Send> {
-        Box::new(SledObjectDB::open(path).unwrap())
+    pub(crate) fn make_default_ostorage(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<Box<dyn ObjectDB + Send>> {
+        Ok(SledObjectDB::open(path).map(Box::new)?)
     }
 
     /// The number of bytes on disk occupied by the [MessageLog].
-    pub fn message_log_size_on_disk(&self) -> Result<u64, DBError> {
+    pub fn message_log_size_on_disk(&self) -> std::result::Result<u64, DBError> {
         let size = self
             .relational_db
             .commit_log()
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ impl DatabaseInstanceContext {
     }
 
     /// The number of bytes on disk occupied by the [ObjectDB].
-    pub fn object_db_size_on_disk(&self) -> Result<u64, DBError> {
+    pub fn object_db_size_on_disk(&self) -> std::result::Result<u64, DBError> {
         let size = self
             .relational_db
             .commit_log()
@@ -118,7 +124,7 @@ impl DatabaseInstanceContext {
     }
 
     /// The size of the log file.
-    pub fn log_file_size(&self) -> Result<u64, DBError> {
+    pub fn log_file_size(&self) -> std::result::Result<u64, DBError> {
         self.logger.size()
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/standalone/src/lib.rs b/crates/standalone/src/lib.rs
index eeea6673801..9ae7a29b127 100644
--- a/crates/standalone/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/standalone/src/lib.rs
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ impl StandaloneEnv {
                     let path = root_db_path.clone();
                     let config = self.config;
                     move || -> anyhow::Result<_> {
-                        let dbic = DatabaseInstanceContext::from_database(config, &database, instance_id, path);
+                        let dbic = DatabaseInstanceContext::from_database(config, &database, instance_id, path)?;
                         let sched = Scheduler::open(dbic.scheduler_db_path(root_db_path))?;
                         Ok((dbic, sched))
                     }