diff --git a/pkg/backend/init.go b/pkg/backend/init.go
index 6e236abd041613be42a55f1f5a27521c818467cb..7be8b19afb5c1b7f8ecc567462cc6f6bf2dcb305 100644
--- a/pkg/backend/init.go
+++ b/pkg/backend/init.go
@@ -74,9 +74,10 @@ func initializeBitmask(errCh chan string, opts *InitOpts) {
 			Err(err).
 			Msg("Could not initialize bitmask")
 		errCh <- err.Error()
-		return
 	}
 
+	ctx.bm = b
+
 	// right now we just get autostart from an init flag,
 	// but we want to be able to persist that option from the preferences
 	// pane
@@ -99,7 +100,6 @@ func initializeBitmask(errCh chan string, opts *InitOpts) {
 		log.Error().Msg("Could not find polkit")
 		errCh <- "nopolkit"
 	}
-	ctx.bm = b
 	ctx.IsReady = true
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/vpn/bitmask.go b/pkg/vpn/bitmask.go
index bc53112f6792c3f211a83ece25bead0bef0b883d..5e174cefceae72e0b2aed52ba110c5aeec46860d 100644
--- a/pkg/vpn/bitmask.go
+++ b/pkg/vpn/bitmask.go
@@ -119,8 +119,7 @@ func Init() (*Bitmask, error) {
 		Str("caCertPath", b.getTempCaCertPath()).
 		Msg("Sucessfully wrote OpenVPN CA certificate (hardcoded in the binary, not coming from API)")
 
-	err = b.launch.FirewallStop()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := b.launch.FirewallStop(); err != nil {
 		log.Warn().
 			Err(err).
 			Msg("Could not stop firewall")