diff --git a/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Opsu.java b/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Opsu.java
index 078e791d..3524863b 100644
--- a/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Opsu.java
+++ b/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Opsu.java
@@ -135,7 +135,11 @@ public class Opsu extends StateBasedGame {
 		ResourceLoader.addResourceLocation(new FileSystemLocation(new File("./res/")));
 
 		// initialize databases
-		DBController.init();
+		try {
+			DBController.init();
+		} catch (UnsatisfiedLinkError e) {
+			errorAndExit(e, "The databases could not be initialized.");
+		}
 
 		// check if just updated
 		if (args.length >= 2)
@@ -176,12 +180,7 @@ public class Opsu extends StateBasedGame {
 				}
 			}
 		} catch (SlickException e) {
-			// JARs will not run properly inside directories containing '!'
-			// http://bugs.java.com/view_bug.do?bug_id=4523159
-			if (new File("").getAbsolutePath().indexOf('!') != -1)
-				ErrorHandler.error("Cannot run JAR from path containing '!'.", null, false);
-			else
-				ErrorHandler.error("Error while creating game container.", e, true);
+			errorAndExit(e, "An error occurred while creating the game container.");
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -242,4 +241,20 @@ public class Opsu extends StateBasedGame {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Throws an error and exits the application with the given message.
+	 * @param e the exception that caused the crash
+	 * @param message the message to display
+	 */
+	private static void errorAndExit(Throwable e, String message) {
+		// JARs will not run properly inside directories containing '!'
+		// http://bugs.java.com/view_bug.do?bug_id=4523159
+		if (Utils.isJarRunning() && Utils.getRunningDirectory() != null &&
+		    Utils.getRunningDirectory().getAbsolutePath().indexOf('!') != -1)
+			ErrorHandler.error("JARs cannot be run from some paths containing '!'. Please move or rename the file and try again.", null, false);
+		else
+			ErrorHandler.error(message, e, true);
+		System.exit(1);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Utils.java b/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Utils.java
index 7035825e..379ff08b 100644
--- a/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Utils.java
+++ b/src/itdelatrisu/opsu/Utils.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.InputStreamReader;
 import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
 import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.security.MessageDigest;
@@ -633,4 +634,24 @@ public class Utils {
 			return easeOut(t, a, b, d);
 		return easeOut(d - t, a, b, d);
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns whether or not the application is running within a JAR.
+	 * @return true if JAR, false if file
+	 */
+	public static boolean isJarRunning() {
+		return Opsu.class.getResource(String.format("%s.class", Opsu.class.getSimpleName())).toString().startsWith("jar:");
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the directory where the application is being run.
+	 */
+	public static File getRunningDirectory() {
+		try {
+			return new File(Opsu.class.getProtectionDomain().getCodeSource().getLocation().toURI().getPath());
+		} catch (URISyntaxException e) {
+			Log.error("Could not get the running directory.", e);
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
 }