diff --git a/src/Main.elm b/src/Main.elm
index afc4d86..5f6862d 100644
--- a/src/Main.elm
+++ b/src/Main.elm
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import Url exposing (Url)
 -- PROGRAM
 
 
-appInit : AppContext.Flags -> Url -> Nav.Key -> ( App.Model, Cmd App.Msg )
-appInit flags url navKey =
+appInit : AppContext.Flags -> ( App.Model, Cmd App.Msg )
+appInit flags =
     let
         workspaceContext =
             flags.workspaceContext
@@ -22,18 +22,15 @@ appInit flags url navKey =
                 |> Result.withDefault Nothing
     in
     App.init
-        (AppContext.init flags navKey)
+        (AppContext.init flags)
         workspaceContext
-        url
 
 
 main : Program AppContext.Flags App.Model App.Msg
 main =
-    Browser.application
+    Browser.document
         { init = appInit
-        , update = App.update
         , view = App.view
+        , update = App.update
         , subscriptions = App.subscriptions
-        , onUrlRequest = App.UrlRequest
-        , onUrlChange = App.UrlChange
         }
diff --git a/src/Ucm/App.elm b/src/Ucm/App.elm
index 170e70e..7c30dcd 100644
--- a/src/Ucm/App.elm
+++ b/src/Ucm/App.elm
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import Ucm.AppContext as AppContext exposing (AppContext)
 import Ucm.WelcomeScreen as WelcomeScreen exposing (OutMsg(..))
 import Ucm.Workspace.WorkspaceContext exposing (WorkspaceContext)
 import Ucm.WorkspaceScreen as WorkspaceScreen
-import Url exposing (Url)
 
 
 type Screen
@@ -23,8 +22,8 @@ type alias Model =
     }
 
 
-init : AppContext -> Maybe WorkspaceContext -> Url -> ( Model, Cmd Msg )
-init appContext workspaceContext _ =
+init : AppContext -> Maybe WorkspaceContext -> ( Model, Cmd Msg )
+init appContext workspaceContext =
     let
         ( screen, cmd ) =
             case workspaceContext of
@@ -53,8 +52,6 @@ init appContext workspaceContext _ =
 
 type Msg
     = NoOp
-    | UrlRequest Browser.UrlRequest
-    | UrlChange Url
     | WelcomeScreenMsg WelcomeScreen.Msg
     | WorkspaceScreenMsg WorkspaceScreen.Msg
     | CheckUCMConnectivity
diff --git a/src/Ucm/AppContext.elm b/src/Ucm/AppContext.elm
index 12670a9..29aafb0 100644
--- a/src/Ucm/AppContext.elm
+++ b/src/Ucm/AppContext.elm
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 module Ucm.AppContext exposing (..)
 
-import Browser.Navigation as Nav
 import Code.Config
 import Code.Perspective as Perspective
 import Http
@@ -20,7 +19,6 @@ type alias AppContext =
     { operatingSystem : OperatingSystem
     , basePath : String
     , api : HttpApi
-    , navKey : Nav.Key
     , ucmConnected : UCMConnectivity
     }
 
@@ -33,12 +31,11 @@ type alias Flags =
     }
 
 
-init : Flags -> Nav.Key -> AppContext
-init flags navKey =
+init : Flags -> AppContext
+init flags =
     { operatingSystem = OS.fromString flags.operatingSystem
     , basePath = flags.basePath
     , api = HttpApi.httpApi False flags.apiUrl Nothing
-    , navKey = navKey
     , ucmConnected = Connected
     }
 
diff --git a/src/css/app-error.css b/src/css/app-error.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d9ae62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/css/app-error.css
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+.app-error {
+  margin: 6rem auto;
+  width: 32rem;
+  height: 6rem;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  justify-content: center;
+  align-items: center;
+  background: var(--u-color_critical_element_subdued);
+  color: var(--u-color_critical_text-on-element_subdued);
+  font-size: var(--font-size-base);
+  border-radius: var(--border-radius-base);
+  padding: 2rem;
+}
+
+.app-error h2 {
+  color: var(--u-color_critical_text-on-element);
+}
+
+.app-error p {
+  margin-bottom: 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/main.css b/src/main.css
index d717937..8524fe5 100644
--- a/src/main.css
+++ b/src/main.css
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @import "./css/unison-theme.css";
+@import "./css/app-error.css";
 @import "./css/window.css";
 @import "./css/ucm/search-project-sheet.css";
 @import "./css/ucm/search-branch-sheet.css";
 @import "./css/ucm/welcome-screen.css";
 @import "./css/ucm/workspace-screen.css";
 @import "./css/ucm/command-palette-modal.css";
+
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 8476251..966a4ec 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -23,49 +23,74 @@ console.log("Starting UCM");
 // @ts-ignore
 import { Elm } from './Main.elm';
 
-type WorkspaceContext = {
-  projectName: string;
-  branchRef: string
-}
-/*
-console.log("Loading Store");
-const store = await Store.load('settings.json');
-console.log("Store loaded");
+try {
+  type WorkspaceContext = {
+    projectName: string;
+    branchRef: string
+  }
+  console.log("Loading Store");
+  const store = await Store.load('settings.json');
+  console.log("Store loaded");
 
-const workspaceContexts = (await store.get<Array<WorkspaceContext>>('workspace-contexts') || []);
+  const workspaceContexts = (await store.get<Array<WorkspaceContext>>('workspace-contexts') || []);
 
-const unlisten = await getCurrentWindow().onCloseRequested(async (ev) => {
-  console.log("TODO");
-  ev.preventDefault();
-});
+  const unlisten = await getCurrentWindow().onCloseRequested(async (ev) => {
+    console.log("TODO");
+    ev.preventDefault();
+  });
 
-// you need to call unlisten if your handler goes out of scope e.g. the component is unmounted
-unlisten();
-*/
+  // you need to call unlisten if your handler goes out of scope e.g. the component is unmounted
+  unlisten();
 
-// ELM STUFF
+  // ELM STUFF
 
-const flags = {
-  operatingSystem: detectOs(window.navigator),
-  basePath: "",
-  apiUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:4444/asdf/api",
-  workspaceContext: undefined, // workspaceContexts[0],
-};
+  const flags = {
+    operatingSystem: detectOs(window.navigator),
+    basePath: "",
+    apiUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:4444/asdf/api",
+    workspaceContext: workspaceContexts[0],
+  };
 
-preventDefaultGlobalKeyboardEvents();
+  preventDefaultGlobalKeyboardEvents();
 
-console.log("Starting Elm app");
-const app = Elm.Main.init({ flags });
-console.log("Elm app started");
+  console.log("Starting Elm app");
+  const app = Elm.Main.init({ flags });
+  console.log("Elm app started");
 
-if (app.ports) {
-  app.ports.saveWorkspaceContext?.subscribe(async (_workspaceContext: WorkspaceContext) => {
-    /*
-    console.log("saving contexts", workspaceContext);
-    try {
-      await store.set("workspace-contexts", [workspaceContext])
-    } catch (ex) {
-      console.error(ex);
-    }*/
-  });
+  if (app.ports) {
+    app.ports.saveWorkspaceContext?.subscribe(async (workspaceContext: WorkspaceContext) => {
+      console.log("saving contexts", workspaceContext);
+      try {
+        await store.set("workspace-contexts", [workspaceContext])
+      } catch (ex) {
+        console.error(ex);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+}
+catch (ex) {
+  console.error(ex);
+
+  const $body = document.querySelector("body");
+  const $err = document.createElement("div");
+  $err.className = "app-error";
+  const $errHeader = document.createElement("h2");
+  $errHeader.innerHTML = "Could not start application";
+  $err.appendChild($errHeader);
+  const $errMessage = document.createElement("p");
+
+  if ($body) {
+    if (typeof ex === "string") {
+      $errMessage.innerHTML = ex;
+    }
+    else if (ex instanceof Error) {
+      $errMessage.innerHTML = ex.message
+    }
+    else {
+      $errMessage.innerHTML = `An unknown error occured: ${ex}`;
+    }
+
+    $err.appendChild($errMessage);
+    $body.appendChild($err);
+  }
 }