diff --git a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/App.java b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/App.java
index 6cbd25a..01ff453 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/App.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/App.java
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ public class App {
             context.start();
         } catch (Exception e) {
             LogHandler.log(e);
-            System.exit(1);
+            // Roll back the components that did start so no non-daemon thread keeps the JVM alive.
+            context.stop();
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Startup failed", e);
         }
 
         Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread(this::shutdown));
@@ -206,8 +208,11 @@ public class App {
                 .build();
             jda.awaitReady();
         } catch (InvalidTokenException | IllegalArgumentException | InterruptedException e) {
+            if (e instanceof InterruptedException) {
+                Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+            }
             LogHandler.log(e);
-            System.exit(1);
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to connect to Discord", e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/DatabaseMigration.java b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/DatabaseMigration.java
index 9cb116e..90421b7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/DatabaseMigration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/DatabaseMigration.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public class DatabaseMigration {
             logger.info("Database migrations finished successfully! (total: {})", result.migrationsExecuted);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             logger.error(e);
-            System.exit(1);
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Database migration failed", e);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/SessionManager.java b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/SessionManager.java
index 96769b2..7e15023 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/SessionManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/db/SessionManager.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class SessionManager implements SessionProvider {
 
                 stop();
                 logger.error("Error connecting to database. Shutting down..");
-                System.exit(1);
+                throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to connect to the database", e);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/http/server/ActionRoutes.java b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/http/server/ActionRoutes.java
index f1d42da..7c7ef4c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/http/server/ActionRoutes.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/bobert/netneutrality/http/server/ActionRoutes.java
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ public final class ActionRoutes {
                 Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
             }
             shutdownHook.run();
-            System.exit(0);
         });
     }
 }