diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index d5efe84..4e29f1e 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for GolgiError {
             // TODO: improve this variant with a context message
             // then have the core display msg be: "SSB RPC error: {}", context
             GolgiError::Rpc(ref err) => write!(f, "SSB RPC failure: {}", err),
-            GolgiError::Sbot(ref err) => write!(f, "Sbot returned an error response: {}", err),
+            GolgiError::Sbot(ref err) => write!(f, "Sbot encountered an error: {}", err),
             GolgiError::SigilLink(ref context) => write!(f, "SSB blob ID error: {}", context),
             GolgiError::SerdeJson(_) => write!(f, "Failed to serialize JSON slice"),
             //GolgiError::WhoAmI(ref err) => write!(f, "{}", err),
diff --git a/src/sbot.rs b/src/sbot.rs
index 63bdeb4..d4f4805 100644
--- a/src/sbot.rs
+++ b/src/sbot.rs
@@ -75,25 +75,35 @@ impl Sbot {
         };
 
         let OwnedIdentity { pk, sk, id } = match keystore {
-            Keystore::Patchwork => keystore::from_patchwork_local()
-                .await
-                .expect("couldn't read local patchwork secret from default location"),
-            Keystore::GoSbot => keystore::from_gosbot_local()
-                .await
-                .expect("couldn't read local go-sbot secret from default location"),
+            Keystore::Patchwork => keystore::from_patchwork_local().await.map_err(|_err| {
+                GolgiError::Sbot(
+                    "sbot initialization error: couldn't read local patchwork secret from default location".to_string(),
+                )
+            })?,
+            Keystore::GoSbot => keystore::from_gosbot_local().await.map_err(|_err| {
+                GolgiError::Sbot(
+                    "sbot initialization error: couldn't read local go-sbot secret from default location".to_string(),
+                )
+            })?,
             Keystore::CustomGoSbot(key_path) => {
                 keystore::from_custom_gosbot_keypath(key_path.to_string())
                     .await
-                    .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-                        panic!("couldn't read local go-sbot secret from: {}", key_path)
-                    })
+                    .map_err(|_err| {
+                        GolgiError::Sbot(format!(
+                            "sbot initialization error: couldn't read local go-sbot secret from: {}",
+                            key_path
+                        ))
+                    })?
             }
             Keystore::CustomPatchwork(key_path) => {
                 keystore::from_custom_patchwork_keypath(key_path.to_string())
                     .await
-                    .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
-                        panic!("couldn't read local patchwork secret from: {}", key_path)
-                    })
+                    .map_err(|_err| {
+                        GolgiError::Sbot(format!(
+                            "sbot initialization error: couldn't read local patchwork secret from: {}",
+                            key_path
+                        ))
+                    })?
             }
         };