diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/dao/account/AccountInitializer.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/dao/account/AccountInitializer.java
index a5f68292..2aca9c57 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/dao/account/AccountInitializer.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/dao/account/AccountInitializer.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.daemon.ZillaRuntime.die;
@@ -24,7 +25,13 @@ public class AccountInitializer implements Runnable {
     private Account account;
     private AccountDAO accountDAO;
     private AccountMessageDAO messageDAO;
+
     private AtomicBoolean ready = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+    public boolean ready() { return ready.get(); }
+
+    private AtomicReference<Exception> error = new AtomicReference<>();
+    public Exception getError() { return error.get(); }
+    public boolean hasError () { return getError() != null; }
 
     public AccountInitializer(Account account, AccountDAO accountDAO, AccountMessageDAO messageDAO) {
         this.account = account;
@@ -32,8 +39,6 @@ public class AccountInitializer implements Runnable {
         this.messageDAO = messageDAO;
     }
 
-    public boolean ready() { return ready.get(); }
-
     @Override public void run() {
         try {
             boolean success = false;
@@ -62,6 +67,7 @@ public class AccountInitializer implements Runnable {
                     .setAction(AccountAction.welcome)
                     .setTarget(ActionTarget.account));
         } catch (Exception e) {
+            error.set(e);
             // todo: send to errbit
             die("error: "+e, e);
         }
diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/model/account/Account.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/model/account/Account.java
index cf8da72a..650ed02c 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/model/account/Account.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/model/account/Account.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
 import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;
+import static org.cobbzilla.util.daemon.ZillaRuntime.die;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.daemon.ZillaRuntime.now;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.reflect.ReflectionUtil.copy;
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.system.Sleep.sleep;
@@ -142,7 +143,13 @@ public class Account extends IdentifiableBase implements TokenPrincipal {
         }
         final long start = now();
         while (!accountInitializer.ready() && now() - start < INIT_WAIT_TIMEOUT) {
-            sleep(INIT_WAIT_INTERVAL, "postCreate: waiting for AccountInitializer.ready");
+            sleep(INIT_WAIT_INTERVAL, "waitForAccountInit: waiting for AccountInitializer.ready");
+            if (accountInitializer.hasError()) break;
+        }
+        if (accountInitializer.hasError()) {
+            final Exception error = accountInitializer.getError();
+            if (error instanceof RuntimeException) throw (RuntimeException) error;
+            return die("waitForAccountInit: "+error);
         }
         if (now() - start > INIT_WAIT_TIMEOUT && !accountInitializer.ready()) {
             throw invalidEx("err.accountInit.timeout");