diff --git a/src/app/app.rs b/src/app/app.rs
index 9dccc12..92d18d3 100644
--- a/src/app/app.rs
+++ b/src/app/app.rs
@@ -69,7 +69,19 @@ impl App
 
     pub fn new<B: Backend>(path: PathBuf, terminal: &mut ratatui::Terminal<B>) -> Result<Self,String>
     {
-        let settings = Settings::load(None).unwrap_or_default();
+        let mut log = Vec::new();
+        let mut notification = NotificationLevel::None;
+        let settings = match Settings::load_or_create(None)
+        {
+            Ok(settings) => settings,
+            Err(e) => {
+                log.push(LogLine { level: NotificationLevel::Error, message: 
+                    format!("Error loading settings: {e}") 
+                });
+                notification = NotificationLevel::Error;
+                Settings::default()
+            },
+        };
         let path = path.to_string_lossy();
         let path = shellexpand::full(&path).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
         Self::print_loading_status(&settings.color, &format!("Opening \"{}\"...", path), terminal)?;
@@ -84,6 +96,8 @@ impl App
             screen_size,
             help_list: Self::help_list(&settings.key),
             settings,
+            log,
+            notification,
             ..Default::default()
         };
 
diff --git a/src/app/settings/settings.rs b/src/app/settings/settings.rs
index ef95550..af0b4f8 100644
--- a/src/app/settings/settings.rs
+++ b/src/app/settings/settings.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #![allow(clippy::module_inception)]
-use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::{io, path::{Path, PathBuf}};
 
 use super::{color_settings::ColorSettings, key_settings::KeySettings};
 
@@ -13,29 +13,34 @@ pub struct Settings
 
 impl Settings
 {
-    pub fn load(path: Option<&Path>) -> Result<Settings, String>
+    pub fn load(path: Option<&Path>) -> Result<Settings, io::Error>
     {
         let path = match path
         {
             Some(path) => path.to_path_buf(),
-            None => Self::get_default_settings_path().ok_or("Could not get default settings path")?
+            None => Self::get_default_settings_path().ok_or(
+                io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, "Could not get default settings path")
+            )?
         };
 
         if !path.exists()
         {
-            return Err("Settings file does not exist".to_string())
+            return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "Settings file not found"));
         }
 
         let settings = match std::fs::read_to_string(&path)
         {
             Ok(settings) => settings,
-            Err(e) => return Err(format!("Could not read settings file: {}", e))
+            Err(e) => return Err(e)
         };
 
         Ok(match serde_json::from_str(&settings)
         {
             Ok(settings) => settings,
-            Err(e) => return Err(format!("Could not parse settings file: {}", e))
+            Err(e) => return Err(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, 
+                format!("Could not parse settings file: {}", e))
+            )
         })
     }
 
@@ -55,9 +60,16 @@ impl Settings
         {
             Ok(settings) => Ok(settings),
             Err(e) => {
-                let settings = Settings::default();
-                settings.save(path).ok_or(format!("Could not save default settings: {}", e))?;
-                Ok(settings)
+                if e.kind() != io::ErrorKind::NotFound
+                {
+                    Err(format!("Could not load settings: {}", e))
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    let settings = Settings::default();
+                    settings.save(path).ok_or(format!("Could not save default settings: {}", e))?;
+                    Ok(settings)
+                }
             }
         }
     }