diff --git a/bzz/protocol.go b/bzz/protocol.go
index 6a7afdc7d1..72f163d750 100644
--- a/bzz/protocol.go
+++ b/bzz/protocol.go
@@ -204,25 +204,25 @@ main entrypoint, wrappers starting a server running the bzz protocol
 use this constructor to attach the protocol ("class") to server caps
 the Dev p2p layer then runs the protocol instance on each peer
 */
-func BzzProtocol(netStore *NetStore) p2p.Protocol {
+func BzzProtocol(netStore *NetStore) (p2p.Protocol, error) {
+
+	db, err := NewLDBDatabase(path.Join(netStore.path, "requests"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return p2p.Protocol{}, err
+	}
 	return p2p.Protocol{
 		Name:    "bzz",
 		Version: Version,
 		Length:  ProtocolLength,
 		Run: func(p *p2p.Peer, rw p2p.MsgReadWriter) error {
-			return runBzzProtocol(netStore, p, rw)
+			return runBzzProtocol(db, netStore, p, rw)
 		},
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 // the main loop that handles incoming messages
 // note RemovePeer in the post-disconnect hook
-func runBzzProtocol(netStore *NetStore, p *p2p.Peer, rw p2p.MsgReadWriter) (err error) {
-
-	db, err := NewLDBDatabase(path.Join(netStore.path, "requests"))
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
+func runBzzProtocol(db *LDBDatabase, netStore *NetStore, p *p2p.Peer, rw p2p.MsgReadWriter) (err error) {
 
 	self := &bzzProtocol{
 		netStore: netStore,
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index d699a41961..b914162824 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ func New(config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	protocols := []p2p.Protocol{eth.protocolManager.SubProtocol}
 
 	if config.Bzz {
-		eth.netStore, err = bzz.NewNetStore(path.Join(config.DataDir, "bzz"), path.Join(config.DataDir, "bzzpeers.json"))
+		eth.netStore, err = bzz.NewNetStore(filepath.Join(config.DataDir, "bzz"), filepath.Join(config.DataDir, "bzzpeers.json"))
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.V(logger.Warn).Infof("BZZ: error creating net store: %v. Protocol skipped", err)
 		} else {
@@ -303,7 +303,10 @@ func New(config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 				Chunker:    chunker,
 				ChunkStore: eth.netStore,
 			}
-			protocols = append(protocols, bzz.BzzProtocol(eth.netStore))
+			bzzProto, err := bzz.BzzProtocol(eth.netStore)
+			if err != nil {
+				protocols = append(protocols, bzzProto)
+			}
 		}
 	}