diff --git a/src/client.cpp b/src/client.cpp
index 21d4c55..8473b29 100644
--- a/src/client.cpp
+++ b/src/client.cpp
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
 #include <cerrno>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <sys/msg.h>
 
 namespace client {
 void sendMsg(int msqid, data::RequestMapMsg *msg) {
   if (msgsnd(msqid, msg, sizeof(data::RequestMapMsg) - sizeof(long), 0) < 0) {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "send error " << strerror(errno);
-    exit(1);
+    throw std::runtime_error(std::string("send error ") + strerror(errno));
   }
 }
 
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ std::string recvMsg(int msqid) {
   data::ResponseMapMsg msg;
   if (msgrcv(msqid, &msg, sizeof(data::ResponseMapMsg) - sizeof(long),
              data::clientbound_msg, 0) < 0) {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "receive error " << strerror(errno);
-    exit(1);
+    throw std::runtime_error(std::string("receive error ") + strerror(errno));
   }
 
   return std::string(&msg.data[0], msg.datalen);
@@ -33,8 +32,7 @@ void map(key_t key) {
   auto msqid = msgget(key, 0664);
 
   if (msqid < 0) {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "msgget fail";
-    exit(0);
+    throw std::runtime_error("msgget fail. is the server running?");
   }
 
   data::RequestMapMsg req;
diff --git a/src/client.hpp b/src/client.hpp
index 98caf3d..3020c4c 100644
--- a/src/client.hpp
+++ b/src/client.hpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 namespace client {
diff --git a/src/data.cpp b/src/data.cpp
index fa366b3..847cafa 100644
--- a/src/data.cpp
+++ b/src/data.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "data.hpp"
 #include <boost/log/trivial.hpp>
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <sys/ipc.h>
 
 namespace data {
@@ -8,8 +9,7 @@ key_t getIpcKeyFromExeName(char *argv0) {
   auto k = ftok(argv0, 'X');
 
   if (k < 0) {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "failed to get IPC key";
-    exit(1);
+    throw std::runtime_error("failed to get IPC key");
   }
 
   return k;
diff --git a/src/data.hpp b/src/data.hpp
index 602f407..84fd47e 100644
--- a/src/data.hpp
+++ b/src/data.hpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 namespace data {
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 540782d..512dc71 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 #include "server.hpp"
 #include <boost/log/trivial.hpp>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
-int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+void main2(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   if (argc < 2) {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "not enough arguments!";
-    return 1;
+    throw std::runtime_error("not enough arguments!");
   }
 
   if (strcmp(argv[1], "serve") == 0) {
@@ -17,9 +17,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   } else if (strcmp(argv[1], "resourceloc") == 0) {
     client::resolveResourceLoc(data::getIpcKeyFromExeName(argv[0]));
   } else {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "unknown command!";
+    throw std::runtime_error("unknown command!");
+  }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+  try {
+    main2(argc, argv);
+    return 0;
+  } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "Exception: " << e.what();
     return 1;
   }
-
-  return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index fbbd259..bcf7d74 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ void run(key_t key) {
   auto msqid = msgget(key, 0664 | IPC_CREAT);
 
   if (msqid < 0) {
-    BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(fatal) << "msgget fail";
-    exit(1);
+    throw std::runtime_error("msgget fail");
   }
 
   BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(info) << "msqid " << msqid;
diff --git a/src/server.hpp b/src/server.hpp
index 57f3e4d..9f976fb 100644
--- a/src/server.hpp
+++ b/src/server.hpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 namespace server {