diff --git a/bin/ldnode.js b/bin/ldnode.js
index aedaee117..5ef7ec565 100644
--- a/bin/ldnode.js
+++ b/bin/ldnode.js
@@ -102,7 +102,13 @@ if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
 
 // Finally starting ldnode
 var ldnode = require('../index');
-var app = ldnode.createServer(argv);
+var app;
+try {
+  app = ldnode.createServer(argv);
+} catch(e) {
+  console.log(e.message);
+  return 1;
+}
 app.listen(argv.port, function() {
     debug('LDP started on port ' + argv.port);
 });
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index f768bccc5..7fb7ed54f 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -78,11 +78,39 @@ function createServer(argv) {
     if (opts && (opts.webid || opts.key || opts.cert) ) {
         debug("SSL Private Key path: " + opts.key);
         debug("SSL Certificate path: " + opts.cert);
+
+        if (!opts.cert && !opts.key) {
+            throw new Error("Missing SSL cert and SSL key to enable WebID");
+        }
+
+        if (!opts.key && opts.cert) {
+            throw new Error("Missing path for SSL key");
+        }
+
+        if (!opts.cert && opts.key) {
+            throw new Error("Missing path for SSL cert");
+        }
+
+        var key;
+        try {
+            key = fs.readFileSync(opts.key);
+        } catch(e) {
+            throw new Error("Can't find SSL key in " + opts.key);
+        }
+
+        var cert;
+        try {
+            cert = fs.readFileSync(opts.cert);
+        } catch(e) {
+            throw new Error("Can't find SSL cert in " + opts.cert);
+        }
+
         var credentials = {
-            key: fs.readFileSync(opts.key),
-            cert: fs.readFileSync(opts.cert),
-            requestCert: true
-        };
+                key: key,
+                cert: cert,
+                requestCert: true
+            };
+
         debug("Private Key: " + credentials.key);
         debug("Certificate: " + credentials.cert);