diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/api/API.java b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/api/API.java
index 5683b31..567dc83 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/api/API.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/api/API.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import com.lbry.globe.object.Node;
 import com.lbry.globe.object.Service;
 
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.FileReader;
 import java.net.Inet6Address;
@@ -42,20 +43,23 @@ public class API{
     }
 
     public static void loadNodes(){
-        try{
-            BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("nodes.json"));
-            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
-            String line;
-            while((line = br.readLine())!=null){
-                sb.append(line);
+        File file = new File("nodes.json");
+        if(file.exists()){
+            try{
+                BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(file));
+                StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+                String line;
+                while((line = br.readLine())!=null){
+                    sb.append(line);
+                }
+                JSONObject obj = new JSONObject(sb.toString());
+                for(String key : obj.keySet()){
+                    API.NODES.put(InetAddress.getByName(key),Node.fromJSONObject(obj.getJSONObject(key)));
+                }
+                br.close();
+            }catch(Exception e){
+                API.LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING,"Failed loading nodes.",e);
             }
-            JSONObject obj = new JSONObject(sb.toString());
-            for(String key : obj.keySet()){
-                API.NODES.put(InetAddress.getByName(key),Node.fromJSONObject(obj.getJSONObject(key)));
-            }
-            br.close();
-        }catch(Exception e){
-            API.LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING,"Failed loading nodes.",e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/thread/BlockchainNodeFinderThread.java b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/thread/BlockchainNodeFinderThread.java
index 355dee9..bba189b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/thread/BlockchainNodeFinderThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/thread/BlockchainNodeFinderThread.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package com.lbry.globe.thread;
 import com.lbry.globe.api.API;
 import com.lbry.globe.object.Node;
 import com.lbry.globe.object.Service;
+import com.lbry.globe.util.Environment;
 import com.lbry.globe.util.GeoIP;
 
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
@@ -19,33 +20,36 @@ import org.json.JSONObject;
 public class BlockchainNodeFinderThread implements Runnable{
 
     @Override
-    public void run() {
-        while(true){
-            try{
-                HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) new URI(System.getenv("BLOCKCHAIN_RPC_URL")).toURL().openConnection();
-                conn.setDoOutput(true);
-                conn.addRequestProperty("Authorization","Basic "+ Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString((System.getenv("BLOCKCHAIN_USERNAME")+":"+System.getenv("BLOCKCHAIN_PASSWORD")).getBytes()));
-                conn.connect();
-                conn.getOutputStream().write(new JSONObject().put("id",new Random().nextInt()).put("method","getnodeaddresses").put("params",new JSONArray().put(2147483647)).toString().getBytes());
-                InputStream in = conn.getInputStream();
-                if(in==null){
-                    in = conn.getErrorStream();
+    public void run(){
+        String rpcURL = Environment.getVariable("BLOCKCHAIN_RPC_URL");
+        if(rpcURL!=null){
+            while(true){
+                try{
+                    HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) new URI(rpcURL).toURL().openConnection();
+                    conn.setDoOutput(true);
+                    conn.addRequestProperty("Authorization","Basic "+ Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString((Environment.getVariable("BLOCKCHAIN_USERNAME")+":"+Environment.getVariable("BLOCKCHAIN_PASSWORD")).getBytes()));
+                    conn.connect();
+                    conn.getOutputStream().write(new JSONObject().put("id",new Random().nextInt()).put("method","getnodeaddresses").put("params",new JSONArray().put(2147483647)).toString().getBytes());
+                    InputStream in = conn.getInputStream();
+                    if(in==null){
+                        in = conn.getErrorStream();
+                    }
+                    BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(in));
+                    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+                    String line;
+                    while((line = br.readLine())!=null){
+                        sb.append(line);
+                    }
+                    JSONObject json = new JSONObject(sb.toString());
+                    manageBlockchainNodes(json.getJSONArray("result"));
+                }catch(Exception e){
+                    e.printStackTrace();
                 }
-                BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(in));
-                StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
-                String line;
-                while((line = br.readLine())!=null){
-                    sb.append(line);
+                try {
+                    Thread.sleep(10_000);
+                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                    throw new RuntimeException(e);
                 }
-                JSONObject json = new JSONObject(sb.toString());
-                manageBlockchainNodes(json.getJSONArray("result"));
-            }catch(Exception e){
-                e.printStackTrace();
-            }
-            try {
-                Thread.sleep(10_000);
-            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-                throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/Environment.java b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/Environment.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60e5565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/Environment.java
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package com.lbry.globe.util;
+
+public class Environment{
+
+    public static String getVariable(String key){
+        return Environment.getVariable(key,null);
+    }
+
+    public static String getVariable(String key,String defaultValue){
+        String value = System.getenv(key);
+        if(value==null){
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        return value;
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/GeoIP.java b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/GeoIP.java
index c512f19..3389996 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/GeoIP.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lbry/globe/util/GeoIP.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public class GeoIP{
 
     private static final Map<InetAddress,JSONObject> CACHE = new TreeMap<>(Comparator.comparing(InetAddress::getHostAddress));
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger("GeoIP");
-    private static final String TOKEN = System.getenv("IPINFO_TOKEN");
+    private static final String TOKEN = Environment.getVariable("IPINFO_TOKEN");
 
     public static JSONObject getCachedGeoIPInformation(InetAddress ip){
         JSONObject result = CACHE.get(ip);
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ public class GeoIP{
     public static JSONObject getGeoIPInformation(InetAddress ip) throws IOException,URISyntaxException{
         HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) new URI("https://ipinfo.io/"+ip.getHostAddress()+"?token="+GeoIP.TOKEN).toURL().openConnection();
         conn.connect();
-        InputStream in = conn.getInputStream();
+        InputStream in = null;
+        try{
+            in = conn.getInputStream();
+        }catch(Exception e){
+            GeoIP.LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING,"GeoIP service returned status code '"+conn.getResponseCode()+"'.");
+        }
         if(in==null){
             in = conn.getErrorStream();
         }
@@ -56,20 +61,23 @@ public class GeoIP{
     }
 
     public static void loadCache(){
-        try{
-            BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("geoip.json"));
-            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
-            String line;
-            while((line = br.readLine())!=null){
-                sb.append(line);
+        File file = new File("geoip.json");
+        if(file.exists()){
+            try{
+                BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(file));
+                StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+                String line;
+                while((line = br.readLine())!=null){
+                    sb.append(line);
+                }
+                JSONObject obj = new JSONObject(sb.toString());
+                for(String key : obj.keySet()){
+                    GeoIP.CACHE.put(InetAddress.getByName(key),obj.getJSONObject(key));
+                }
+                br.close();
+            }catch(Exception e){
+                GeoIP.LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING,"Failed loading GeoIP cache.",e);
             }
-            JSONObject obj = new JSONObject(sb.toString());
-            for(String key : obj.keySet()){
-                GeoIP.CACHE.put(InetAddress.getByName(key),obj.getJSONObject(key));
-            }
-            br.close();
-        }catch(Exception e){
-            GeoIP.LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING,"Failed loading GeoIP cache.",e);
         }
     }