diff --git a/js/app.js b/js/app.js
index e2089170ff..af8310992a 100644
--- a/js/app.js
+++ b/js/app.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const { setGlobalDispatcher, Agent } = require("undici");
 
 const Server = require("./server");
 const Utils = require("./utils");
+const { ConfigError } = require("./utils");
 
 const { getEnvVarsAsObj } = require("#server_functions");
 // common timeout value, provide environment override in case
@@ -183,80 +184,92 @@ function App () {
 	 * @returns {Promise<object>} the config used
 	 */
 	this.start = async function () {
-		const configObj = Utils.loadConfig();
-		global.config = configObj.fullConf;
-		const config = global.config;
-		Utils.checkConfigFile(configObj);
-
-		global.defaultModulesDir = config.defaultModulesDir;
-		defaultModules = require(`${global.root_path}/${global.defaultModulesDir}/defaultmodules`);
-
-		Log.setLogLevel(config.logLevel);
-
-		env = getEnvVarsAsObj();
-		// check for deprecated css/custom.css and move it to new location
-		if ((!fs.existsSync(`${global.root_path}/${env.customCss}`)) && (fs.existsSync(`${global.root_path}/css/custom.css`))) {
-			try {
-				fs.renameSync(`${global.root_path}/css/custom.css`, `${global.root_path}/${env.customCss}`);
-				Log.warn(`WARNING! Your custom css file was moved from ${global.root_path}/css/custom.css to ${global.root_path}/${env.customCss}`);
-			} catch {
-				Log.warn("WARNING! Your custom css file is currently located in the css folder. Please move it to the config folder!");
+		try {
+			const configObj = Utils.loadConfig();
+			global.config = configObj.fullConf;
+			const config = global.config;
+			Utils.checkConfigFile(configObj);
+
+			global.defaultModulesDir = config.defaultModulesDir;
+			defaultModules = require(`${global.root_path}/${global.defaultModulesDir}/defaultmodules`);
+
+			Log.setLogLevel(config.logLevel);
+
+			env = getEnvVarsAsObj();
+			// check for deprecated css/custom.css and move it to new location
+			if ((!fs.existsSync(`${global.root_path}/${env.customCss}`)) && (fs.existsSync(`${global.root_path}/css/custom.css`))) {
+				try {
+					fs.renameSync(`${global.root_path}/css/custom.css`, `${global.root_path}/${env.customCss}`);
+					Log.warn(`WARNING! Your custom css file was moved from ${global.root_path}/css/custom.css to ${global.root_path}/${env.customCss}`);
+				} catch {
+					Log.warn("WARNING! Your custom css file is currently located in the css folder. Please move it to the config folder!");
+				}
 			}
-		}
 
-		// get the used module positions
-		Utils.getModulePositions();
-
-		let modules = [];
-		for (const module of config.modules) {
-			if (module.disabled) continue;
-			if (module.module) {
-				if (Utils.moduleHasValidPosition(module.position) || typeof (module.position) === "undefined") {
-					// Only add this module to be loaded if it is not a duplicate (repeated instance of the same module)
-					if (!modules.includes(module.module)) {
-						modules.push(module.module);
+			// get the used module positions
+			Utils.getModulePositions();
+
+			let modules = [];
+			for (const module of config.modules) {
+				if (module.disabled) continue;
+				if (module.module) {
+					if (Utils.moduleHasValidPosition(module.position) || typeof (module.position) === "undefined") {
+						// Only add this module to be loaded if it is not a duplicate (repeated instance of the same module)
+						if (!modules.includes(module.module)) {
+							modules.push(module.module);
+						}
+					} else {
+						Log.warn("Invalid module position found for this configuration:" + `\n${JSON.stringify(module, null, 2)}`);
 					}
 				} else {
-					Log.warn("Invalid module position found for this configuration:" + `\n${JSON.stringify(module, null, 2)}`);
+					Log.warn("No module name found for this configuration:" + `\n${JSON.stringify(module, null, 2)}`);
 				}
-			} else {
-				Log.warn("No module name found for this configuration:" + `\n${JSON.stringify(module, null, 2)}`);
 			}
-		}
 
-		setGlobalDispatcher(new Agent({ connect: { timeout: fetch_timeout } }));
+			setGlobalDispatcher(new Agent({ connect: { timeout: fetch_timeout } }));
 
-		await loadModules(modules);
+			await loadModules(modules);
 
-		httpServer = new Server(configObj);
-		const { app, io } = await httpServer.open();
-		Log.log("Server started ...");
+			httpServer = new Server(configObj);
+			const { app, io } = await httpServer.open();
+			Log.log("Server started ...");
 
-		const nodePromises = [];
-		for (let nodeHelper of nodeHelpers) {
-			nodeHelper.setExpressApp(app);
-			nodeHelper.setSocketIO(io);
+			const nodePromises = [];
+			for (let nodeHelper of nodeHelpers) {
+				nodeHelper.setExpressApp(app);
+				nodeHelper.setSocketIO(io);
 
-			try {
-				nodePromises.push(nodeHelper.start());
-			} catch (error) {
-				Log.error(`Error when starting node_helper for module ${nodeHelper.name}:`);
-				Log.error(error);
+				try {
+					nodePromises.push(nodeHelper.start());
+				} catch (error) {
+					Log.error(`Error when starting node_helper for module ${nodeHelper.name}:`);
+					Log.error(error);
+				}
 			}
-		}
 
-		const results = await Promise.allSettled(nodePromises);
+			const results = await Promise.allSettled(nodePromises);
 
-		// Log errors that happened during async node_helper startup
-		results.forEach((result) => {
-			if (result.status === "rejected") {
-				Log.error(result.reason);
-			}
-		});
+			// Log errors that happened during async node_helper startup
+			results.forEach((result) => {
+				if (result.status === "rejected") {
+					Log.error(result.reason);
+				}
+			});
 
-		Log.log("Sockets connected & modules started ...");
+			Log.log("Sockets connected & modules started ...");
+
+			return global.config;
+		} catch (err) {
+			// planned ConfigErrors already logged their message before throwing
+			if (!(err instanceof ConfigError)) {
+				Log.error("Unexpected error during startup:", err);
+			}
 
-		return global.config;
+			const int32 = new Int32Array(new SharedArrayBuffer(4));
+			// wait 1000ms before exiting so that child processes (e.g. systeminformation) have some additional time
+			Atomics.wait(int32, 0, 0, 1000);
+			process.exit(1);
+		}
 	};
 
 	/**
@@ -328,20 +341,6 @@ function App () {
 		await this.stop();
 		process.exit(0);
 	});
-
-	/**
-	 *
-	 * @param {number} ms milliseconds to wait
-	 */
-	function blockingSleep (ms) {
-		const int32 = new Int32Array(new SharedArrayBuffer(4));
-		Atomics.wait(int32, 0, 0, ms);
-	}
-
-	process.on("exit", () => {
-		// wait before exiting so that child processes (e.g. systeminformation) have some additional time
-		blockingSleep(1000);
-	});
 }
 
 module.exports = new App();
diff --git a/js/utils.js b/js/utils.js
index 23955af848..ed868864d1 100644
--- a/js/utils.js
+++ b/js/utils.js
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ const { getConfigFilePath } = require("#server_functions");
 
 const linter = new Linter({ configType: "flat" });
 
+class ConfigError extends Error {
+	constructor (message) {
+		super(message);
+		this.name = "ConfigError";
+	}
+}
+
 const requireFromString = (src) => {
 	const m = new module.constructor();
 	m._compile(src, "");
@@ -172,9 +179,8 @@ const loadConfig = () => {
 		} else {
 			Log.error(`Cannot access config file: ${configFilename}\n${error.message}`);
 		}
-		process.exit(1);
+		throw new ConfigError("");
 	}
-	return {};
 };
 
 /**
@@ -220,7 +226,7 @@ const checkConfigFile = (configObject) => {
 			errorMessage += `\nLine ${error.line} column ${error.column}: ${error.message}`;
 		}
 		Log.error(errorMessage);
-		process.exit(1);
+		throw new ConfigError("");
 	}
 };
 
@@ -242,7 +248,7 @@ const validateModulePositions = (data) => {
 	// `modules` always exists (defaults.js provides a default array), but guard against it being overridden with a non-array value
 	if (data.modules !== undefined && !Array.isArray(data.modules)) {
 		Log.error("This module configuration contains errors:\nmodules must be an array");
-		process.exit(1);
+		throw new ConfigError("");
 	}
 
 	// Validate each module entry
@@ -250,19 +256,19 @@ const validateModulePositions = (data) => {
 		// Each module entry must be an object so we can safely inspect its fields
 		if (mod === null || typeof mod !== "object" || Array.isArray(mod)) {
 			Log.error(`This module configuration contains errors:\n${JSON.stringify(mod, null, 2)}\nmodule entry must be an object`);
-			process.exit(1);
+			throw new ConfigError("");
 		}
 
 		// `module` (the module name) is required and must be a string
 		if (typeof mod.module !== "string") {
 			Log.error(`This module configuration contains errors:\n${JSON.stringify(mod, null, 2)}\nmodule: must be a string`);
-			process.exit(1);
+			throw new ConfigError("");
 		}
 
 		// `position` is optional, but must be a string when provided
 		if (mod.position !== undefined && typeof mod.position !== "string") {
 			Log.error(`This module configuration contains errors:\n${JSON.stringify(mod, null, 2)}\nposition: must be a string`);
-			process.exit(1);
+			throw new ConfigError("");
 		}
 
 		// `position` is optional, but when set it must match a known region
@@ -275,4 +281,4 @@ const validateModulePositions = (data) => {
 	Log.info(styleText("green", "Your modules structure configuration doesn't contain errors :)"));
 };
 
-module.exports = { loadConfig, getModulePositions, moduleHasValidPosition, getAvailableModulePositions, checkConfigFile };
+module.exports = { loadConfig, getModulePositions, moduleHasValidPosition, getAvailableModulePositions, checkConfigFile, ConfigError };
diff --git a/tests/unit/classes/utils_spec.js b/tests/unit/classes/utils_spec.js
index ef771bd5ef..ee90e880fe 100644
--- a/tests/unit/classes/utils_spec.js
+++ b/tests/unit/classes/utils_spec.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const fs = require("node:fs");
 
 const Log = require("../../../js/logger");
-const { checkConfigFile } = require("../../../js/utils");
+const { checkConfigFile, ConfigError } = require("../../../js/utils");
 
 const createConfigObject = (modules) => ({
 	configFilename: "config.js",
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ const runCheck = (modules) => {
 };
 
 const expectExitForModules = (modules) => {
-	vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation((code) => {
-		throw new Error(`process.exit:${code}`);
+	vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation(() => {
+		throw new ConfigError("");
 	});
 
 	expect(() => {
 		runCheck(modules);
-	}).toThrow("process.exit:1");
+	}).toThrow(ConfigError);
 };
 
 describe("utils", () => {
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ describe("utils", () => {
 	});
 
 	it("warns for unknown positions without exiting", () => {
-		const exitSpy = vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation((code) => {
-			throw new Error(`process.exit:${code}`);
+		const exitSpy = vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation(() => {
+			throw new ConfigError("");
 		});
 
 		expect(() => {