diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 08f9036..27b7533 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "eventthread.h"
 #include "debuglogger.h"
 #include "debugwriter.h"
+#include "exception.h"
 
 #include "binding.h"
 
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ int rgssThreadFun(void *userdata)
 	{
 		rgssThreadError(threadData, "Error initializing glew");
 		SDL_GL_DeleteContext(glCtx);
+
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ int rgssThreadFun(void *userdata)
 	{
 		rgssThreadError(threadData, "At least OpenGL 2.0 is required");
 		SDL_GL_DeleteContext(glCtx);
+
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ int rgssThreadFun(void *userdata)
 			rgssThreadError(threadData, std::string("Required GL extension \"")
 			                            + reqExt[i] + "\" not present");
 			SDL_GL_DeleteContext(glCtx);
+
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
@@ -140,6 +144,7 @@ int rgssThreadFun(void *userdata)
 	{
 		rgssThreadError(threadData, "Error opening OpenAL device");
 		SDL_GL_DeleteContext(glCtx);
+
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -150,12 +155,25 @@ int rgssThreadFun(void *userdata)
 		rgssThreadError(threadData, "Error creating OpenAL context");
 		alcCloseDevice(alcDev);
 		SDL_GL_DeleteContext(glCtx);
+
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	alcMakeContextCurrent(alcCtx);
 
-	SharedState::initInstance(threadData);
+	try
+	{
+		SharedState::initInstance(threadData);
+	}
+	catch (const Exception &exc)
+	{
+		rgssThreadError(threadData, exc.msg);
+		alcDestroyContext(alcCtx);
+		alcCloseDevice(alcDev);
+		SDL_GL_DeleteContext(glCtx);
+
+		return 0;
+	}
 
 	/* Start script execution */
 	scriptBinding->execute();
diff --git a/src/sharedstate.cpp b/src/sharedstate.cpp
index 60eb7ae..84d0c24 100644
--- a/src/sharedstate.cpp
+++ b/src/sharedstate.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "global-ibo.h"
 #include "quad.h"
 #include "binding.h"
+#include "exception.h"
 
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -93,8 +94,13 @@ struct SharedStatePrivate
 	{
 		if (!config.gameFolder.empty())
 		{
-			int unused = chdir(config.gameFolder.c_str());
-			(void) unused;
+			int result = chdir(config.gameFolder.c_str());
+
+			if (result != 0)
+				throw Exception(Exception::MKXPError,
+			                    "Unable to switch into gameFolder '%s'",
+			                    config.gameFolder.c_str());
+
 			fileSystem.addPath(".");
 		}
 
@@ -139,14 +145,31 @@ struct SharedStatePrivate
 
 void SharedState::initInstance(RGSSThreadData *threadData)
 {
+	/* This section is tricky because of dependencies:
+	 * SharedState depends on GlobalIBO existing,
+	 * Font depends on SharedState existing */
+
 	globalIBO = new GlobalIBO();
 	globalIBO->ensureSize(1);
 
-	SharedState *state = new SharedState(threadData);
+	SharedState::instance = 0;
+	Font *defaultFont = 0;
 
-	SharedState::instance = state;
+	try
+	{
+		SharedState::instance = new SharedState(threadData);
+		defaultFont = new Font();
+	}
+	catch (const Exception &exc)
+	{
+		delete globalIBO;
+		delete SharedState::instance;
+		delete defaultFont;
 
-	state->p->defaultFont = new Font();
+		throw exc;
+	}
+
+	SharedState::instance->p->defaultFont = defaultFont;
 }
 
 void SharedState::finiInstance()
diff --git a/src/sharedstate.h b/src/sharedstate.h
index 89bc716..c389f1f 100644
--- a/src/sharedstate.h
+++ b/src/sharedstate.h
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ struct SharedState
 	void checkShutdown();
 
 	static SharedState *instance;
+
+	/* This function will throw an Exception instance
+	 * on initialization error */
 	static void initInstance(RGSSThreadData *threadData);
 	static void finiInstance();