diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index 05db6fe..d60deda 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
           export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin
           go install github.com/securego/gosec/v2/cmd/gosec@latest
           gosec ./...
-      - name: go test -v ./...
-        run: go test -v ./...
+      - name: go test -race -v ./...
+        run: go test -race -v ./...
       - name: go build -v ./...
         run: go build -v ./...
diff --git a/cmd/HellPot/HellPot.go b/cmd/HellPot/HellPot.go
index 597d0d9..b2b3055 100644
--- a/cmd/HellPot/HellPot.go
+++ b/cmd/HellPot/HellPot.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func main() {
 	signal.Notify(stopChan, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 
 	go func() {
-		log.Error().Err(http.Serve()).Msg("HTTP error")
+		log.Fatal().Err(http.Serve()).Msg("HTTP error")
 	}()
 
 	<-stopChan // wait for SIGINT
diff --git a/internal/config/logger.go b/internal/config/logger.go
index a170e9e..2e9c55a 100644
--- a/internal/config/logger.go
+++ b/internal/config/logger.go
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ var (
 	logger         zerolog.Logger
 )
 
-// StartLogger instantiates an instance of our zerolog loggger so we can hook it in our main package.
-// While this does return a logger, it should not be used for additional retrievals of the logger. Use GetLogger()
-func StartLogger(pretty bool, targets ...io.Writer) zerolog.Logger {
+func prepLogDir() {
 	logDir = snek.GetString("logger.directory")
 	if !strings.HasSuffix(logDir, "/") {
 		logDir += "/"
@@ -29,7 +27,11 @@ func StartLogger(pretty bool, targets ...io.Writer) zerolog.Logger {
 		println("cannot create log directory: " + logDir + "(" + err.Error() + ")")
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+}
 
+// StartLogger instantiates an instance of our zerolog loggger so we can hook it in our main package.
+// While this does return a logger, it should not be used for additional retrievals of the logger. Use GetLogger().
+func StartLogger(pretty bool, targets ...io.Writer) zerolog.Logger {
 	logFileName := "HellPot"
 
 	if snek.GetBool("logger.use_date_filename") {
@@ -44,9 +46,10 @@ func StartLogger(pretty bool, targets ...io.Writer) zerolog.Logger {
 	case len(targets) > 0:
 		logFile = io.MultiWriter(targets...)
 	default:
+		prepLogDir()
 		CurrentLogFile = path.Join(logDir, logFileName+".log")
-
-		logFile, err = os.OpenFile(CurrentLogFile, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0o666) // #nosec G304 G302
+		//nolint:lll
+		logFile, err = os.OpenFile(CurrentLogFile, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0o666) // #nosec G304 G302 -- we are not using user input to create the file
 		if err != nil {
 			println("cannot create log file: " + err.Error())
 			os.Exit(1)
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ func StartLogger(pretty bool, targets ...io.Writer) zerolog.Logger {
 	return logger
 }
 
-// GetLogger retrieves our global logger object
+// GetLogger retrieves our global logger object.
 func GetLogger() *zerolog.Logger {
 	// future logic here
 	return &logger