diff --git a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
index 2c5c053c..bc4621e3 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
@@ -496,6 +496,18 @@ impl MaildirType {
             folders: &mut FnvHashMap<FolderHash, MaildirFolder>,
             p: P,
         ) -> Vec<FolderHash> {
+            if !p.as_ref().exists() || !p.as_ref().is_dir() {
+                eprintln!(
+                    "Configuration error: Path \"{}\" {}",
+                    p.as_ref().display(),
+                    if !p.as_ref().exists() {
+                        "does not exist."
+                    } else {
+                        "is not a directory."
+                    }
+                );
+                std::process::exit(1);
+            }
             let mut children = Vec::new();
             for mut f in fs::read_dir(p).unwrap() {
                 'entries: for f in f.iter_mut() {
diff --git a/ui/src/state.rs b/ui/src/state.rs
index 69b8b0f3..f480aea3 100644
--- a/ui/src/state.rs
+++ b/ui/src/state.rs
@@ -168,11 +168,8 @@ impl State {
          * stdin, see get_events() for details
          * */
         let input_thread = chan::r#async();
-        let _stdout = std::io::stdout();
-        _stdout.lock();
         let backends = Backends::new();
         let settings = Settings::new();
-        let stdout = AlternateScreen::from(_stdout.into_raw_mode().unwrap());
 
         let termsize = termion::terminal_size().ok();
         let termcols = termsize.map(|(w, _)| w);
@@ -195,6 +192,11 @@ impl State {
             })
             .collect();
         accounts.sort_by(|a, b| a.name().cmp(&b.name()));
+
+        let _stdout = std::io::stdout();
+        _stdout.lock();
+        let stdout = AlternateScreen::from(_stdout.into_raw_mode().unwrap());
+
         let mut s = State {
             cols,
             rows,