diff --git a/lib/compute-index.js b/lib/compute-index.js
index 6cf0c3657..b246b0c9c 100644
--- a/lib/compute-index.js
+++ b/lib/compute-index.js
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ const init = function (config, cb) {
         return void cb('E_INVALID_CONFIG');
     }
 
-    Store.create(config, function (_store) {
+    Store.create(config, function (err, _store) {
+        if (err) { return void cb(err); }
         store = _store;
         cb();
     });
diff --git a/lib/historyKeeper.js b/lib/historyKeeper.js
index 23dbf5fd1..2f6043dfd 100644
--- a/lib/historyKeeper.js
+++ b/lib/historyKeeper.js
@@ -215,12 +215,14 @@ module.exports.create = function (config, cb) {
         // create a pin store
         Store.create({
             filePath: pinPath,
-        }, w(function (s) {
+        }, w(function (err, s) {
+            if (err) { throw err; }
             Env.pinStore = s;
         }));
 
         // create a channel store
-        Store.create(config, w(function (_store) {
+        Store.create(config, w(function (err, _store) {
+            if (err) { throw err; }
             config.store = _store;
             Env.msgStore = _store; // API used by rpc
             Env.store = _store; // API used by historyKeeper
diff --git a/lib/log.js b/lib/log.js
index 756da8734..d4ffcad56 100644
--- a/lib/log.js
+++ b/lib/log.js
@@ -101,7 +101,10 @@ Logger.create = function (config, cb) {
 
     Store.create({
         filePath: config.logPath,
-    }, function (store) {
+    }, function (err, store) {
+        if (err) {
+            throw err;
+        }
         ctx.store = store;
         var logger = createMethods(ctx);
         logger.shutdown = function () {
diff --git a/lib/storage/file.js b/lib/storage/file.js
index 25ff021f0..e040bf807 100644
--- a/lib/storage/file.js
+++ b/lib/storage/file.js
@@ -951,7 +951,9 @@ var trimChannel = function (env, channelName, hash, _cb) {
     });
 };
 
-module.exports.create = function (conf, cb) {
+module.exports.create = function (conf, _cb) {
+    var cb = Util.once(Util.mkAsync(_cb));
+
     var env = {
         root: conf.filePath || './datastore',
         archiveRoot: conf.archivePath || './data/archive',
@@ -984,18 +986,19 @@ module.exports.create = function (conf, cb) {
         // make sure the store's directory exists
         Fse.mkdirp(env.root, PERMISSIVE, w(function (err) {
             if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
-                throw err; // XXX
+                w.abort();
+                return void cb(err);
             }
         }));
         // make sure the cold storage directory exists
         Fse.mkdirp(env.archiveRoot, PERMISSIVE, w(function (err) {
             if (err && err.code !== 'EEXIST') {
-                throw err; // XXX
+                w.abort();
+                return void cb(err);
             }
         }));
     }).nThen(function () {
-        // XXX leave a place for an error
-        cb({
+        cb(void 0, {
         // OLDER METHODS
             // write a new message to a log
             message: function (channelName, content, cb) {
diff --git a/scripts/diagnose-archive-conflicts.js b/scripts/diagnose-archive-conflicts.js
index 0e75f4abe..7e5ee92bc 100644
--- a/scripts/diagnose-archive-conflicts.js
+++ b/scripts/diagnose-archive-conflicts.js
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ var Log;
 nThen(function (w) {
     // load the store which will be used for iterating over channels
     // and performing operations like archival and deletion
-    Store.create(config, w(function (_) {
+    Store.create(config, w(function (err, _) {
+        if (err) {
+            w.abort();
+            throw err;
+        }
         store = _;
     }));
 
diff --git a/scripts/evict-inactive.js b/scripts/evict-inactive.js
index 18730fd1e..a3a595ca4 100644
--- a/scripts/evict-inactive.js
+++ b/scripts/evict-inactive.js
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ var msSinceStart = function ()  {
 nThen(function (w) {
     // load the store which will be used for iterating over channels
     // and performing operations like archival and deletion
-    Store.create(config, w(function (_) {
+    Store.create(config, w(function (err, _) {
+        if (err) {
+            w.abort();
+            throw err;
+        }
         store = _;
     })); // load the list of pinned files so you know which files
     // should not be archived or deleted
diff --git a/scripts/restore-archived.js b/scripts/restore-archived.js
index 3f68b607e..4ee01c02f 100644
--- a/scripts/restore-archived.js
+++ b/scripts/restore-archived.js
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ var Log;
 nThen(function (w) {
     // load the store which will be used for iterating over channels
     // and performing operations like archival and deletion
-    Store.create(config, w(function (_) {
+    Store.create(config, w(function (err, _) {
+        if (err) { throw err; }
         store = _;
     }));