diff --git a/cmd/devtools/oplogexport/main.go b/cmd/devtools/oplogexport/main.go
index 478a3407..e17de767 100644
--- a/cmd/devtools/oplogexport/main.go
+++ b/cmd/devtools/oplogexport/main.go
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ package main
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"compress/gzip"
-	"errors"
 	"flag"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/garethgeorge/backrest/internal/env"
 	"github.com/garethgeorge/backrest/internal/oplog"
 	"github.com/garethgeorge/backrest/internal/oplog/bboltstore"
-	"go.etcd.io/bbolt"
-	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext"
 )
 
@@ -32,34 +30,34 @@ func main() {
 	oplogFile := path.Join(env.DataDir(), "oplog.boltdb")
 	opstore, err := bboltstore.NewBboltStore(oplogFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		if !errors.Is(err, bbolt.ErrTimeout) {
-			zap.S().Fatalf("timeout while waiting to open database, is the database open elsewhere?")
-		}
-		zap.S().Warnf("operation log may be corrupted, if errors recur delete the file %q and restart. Your backups stored in your repos are safe.", oplogFile)
-		zap.S().Fatalf("error creating oplog : %v", err)
+		log.Fatalf("error creating oplog : %v", err)
 	}
 	defer opstore.Close()
 
 	output := &v1.OperationList{}
 
-	log := oplog.NewOpLog(opstore)
-	log.Query(oplog.Query{}, func(op *v1.Operation) error {
+	l, err := oplog.NewOpLog(opstore)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+	}
+	l.Query(oplog.Query{}, func(op *v1.Operation) error {
 		output.Operations = append(output.Operations, op)
 		return nil
 	})
+	log.Printf("exporting %d operations", len(output.Operations))
 
 	bytes, err := prototext.MarshalOptions{Multiline: true}.Marshal(output)
 	if err != nil {
-		zap.S().Fatalf("error marshalling operations: %v", err)
+		log.Fatalf("error marshalling operations: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	bytes, err = compress(bytes)
 	if err != nil {
-		zap.S().Fatalf("error compressing operations: %v", err)
+		log.Fatalf("error compressing operations: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	if err := os.WriteFile(*outpath, bytes, 0644); err != nil {
-		zap.S().Fatalf("error writing to file: %v", err)
+		log.Fatalf("error writing to file: %v", err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/api/backresthandler_test.go b/internal/api/backresthandler_test.go
index 670edc77..88de3b26 100644
--- a/internal/api/backresthandler_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/backresthandler_test.go
@@ -790,7 +790,10 @@ func createSystemUnderTest(t *testing.T, config config.ConfigStore) systemUnderT
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to create oplog store: %v", err)
 	}
 	t.Cleanup(func() { opstore.Close() })
-	oplog := oplog.NewOpLog(opstore)
+	oplog, err := oplog.NewOpLog(opstore)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create oplog: %v", err)
+	}
 	logStore, err := logwriter.NewLogManager(dir+"/log", 10)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to create log store: %v", err)
diff --git a/internal/oplog/storetests/storecontract_test.go b/internal/oplog/storetests/storecontract_test.go
index 4aec2a91..ceb71de7 100644
--- a/internal/oplog/storetests/storecontract_test.go
+++ b/internal/oplog/storetests/storecontract_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ func TestCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	// t.Parallel()
 	for name, store := range StoresForTest(t) {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_ = oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			_, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -127,7 +130,10 @@ func TestAddOperation(t *testing.T) {
 				tc := tc
 				t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Parallel()
-					log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+					log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+					if err != nil {
+						t.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+					}
 					op := proto.Clone(tc.op).(*v1.Operation)
 					if err := log.Add(op); (err != nil) != tc.wantErr {
 						t.Errorf("Add() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tc.wantErr)
@@ -226,7 +232,10 @@ func TestListOperation(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for name, store := range StoresForTest(t) {
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 			for _, op := range ops {
 				if err := log.Add(proto.Clone(op).(*v1.Operation)); err != nil {
 					t.Fatalf("error adding operation: %s", err)
@@ -266,7 +275,10 @@ func TestBigIO(t *testing.T) {
 		store := store
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 			for i := 0; i < count; i++ {
 				if err := log.Add(&v1.Operation{
 					UnixTimeStartMs: 1234,
@@ -301,7 +313,10 @@ func TestIndexSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 		store := store
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 			op := proto.Clone(op).(*v1.Operation)
 
 			if err := log.Add(op); err != nil {
@@ -341,7 +356,10 @@ func TestUpdateOperation(t *testing.T) {
 		store := store
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 			op := proto.Clone(op).(*v1.Operation)
 
 			if err := log.Add(op); err != nil {
@@ -432,7 +450,10 @@ func countBySnapshotIdHelper(t *testing.T, log *oplog.OpLog, snapshotId string,
 func BenchmarkAdd(b *testing.B) {
 	for name, store := range StoresForTest(b) {
 		b.Run(name, func(b *testing.B) {
-			log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+			if err != nil {
+				b.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 			for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 				_ = log.Add(&v1.Operation{
 					UnixTimeStartMs: 1234,
@@ -450,7 +471,10 @@ func BenchmarkList(b *testing.B) {
 	for _, count := range []int{100, 1000, 10000} {
 		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d", count), func(b *testing.B) {
 			for name, store := range StoresForTest(b) {
-				log := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+				log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(store)
+				if err != nil {
+					b.Fatalf("error creating oplog: %v", err)
+				}
 				for i := 0; i < count; i++ {
 					_ = log.Add(&v1.Operation{
 						UnixTimeStartMs: 1234,
diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/scheduling_test.go b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/scheduling_test.go
index a8384e3f..21858178 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/scheduling_test.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/scheduling_test.go
@@ -378,7 +378,10 @@ func TestScheduling(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			log := oplog.NewOpLog(opstore)
+			log, err := oplog.NewOpLog(opstore)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to create oplog: %v", err)
+			}
 
 			runner := newTestTaskRunner(t, cfg, log)