diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index dda2bfa..4e29f1e 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@ pub enum GolgiError {
     Rpc(RpcError),
     /// Go-sbot error.
     Sbot(String),
-    /// Error initializing Go-sbot.
-    SbotInit(String),
     /// SSB sigil-link error.
     SigilLink(String),
     /// JSON serialization or deserialization error.
@@ -59,7 +57,6 @@ impl std::error::Error for GolgiError {
             GolgiError::Feed(ref err) => Some(err),
             GolgiError::Rpc(ref err) => Some(err),
             GolgiError::Sbot(_) => None,
-            GolgiError::SbotInit(_) => None,
             GolgiError::SigilLink(_) => None,
             GolgiError::SerdeJson(ref err) => Some(err),
             GolgiError::ContentType(_) => None,
@@ -80,10 +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::SbotInit(ref err) => {
-                write!(f, "Sbot encountered an initialization error: {}", 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 6875b51..d4f4805 100644
--- a/src/sbot.rs
+++ b/src/sbot.rs
@@ -76,21 +76,21 @@ impl Sbot {
 
         let OwnedIdentity { pk, sk, id } = match keystore {
             Keystore::Patchwork => keystore::from_patchwork_local().await.map_err(|_err| {
-                GolgiError::SbotInit(
-                    "couldn't read local patchwork secret from default location".to_string(),
+                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::SbotInit(
-                    "couldn't read local go-sbot secret from default location".to_string(),
+                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
                     .map_err(|_err| {
-                        GolgiError::SbotInit(format!(
-                            "couldn't read local go-sbot secret from: {}",
+                        GolgiError::Sbot(format!(
+                            "sbot initialization error: couldn't read local go-sbot secret from: {}",
                             key_path
                         ))
                     })?
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ impl Sbot {
                 keystore::from_custom_patchwork_keypath(key_path.to_string())
                     .await
                     .map_err(|_err| {
-                        GolgiError::SbotInit(format!(
-                            "couldn't read local patchwork secret from: {}",
+                        GolgiError::Sbot(format!(
+                            "sbot initialization error: couldn't read local patchwork secret from: {}",
                             key_path
                         ))
                     })?