diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 47d94b46c..99b005547 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -118,11 +118,7 @@ func NewPrometheus() *prometheus {
 		PedanticChecks: *storagePedanticChecks,
 		SyncStrategy:   syncStrategy,
 	}
-	memStorage, err := local.NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
-	if err != nil {
-		glog.Error("Error opening memory series storage: ", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
+	memStorage := local.NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
 
 	var sampleAppender storage.SampleAppender
 	var remoteStorageQueues []*remote.StorageQueueManager
@@ -213,38 +209,47 @@ func NewPrometheus() *prometheus {
 	}
 	webService.QuitChan = make(chan struct{})
 
-	p.reloadConfig()
+	if !p.reloadConfig() {
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
 	return p
 }
 
-func (p *prometheus) reloadConfig() {
+func (p *prometheus) reloadConfig() bool {
 	glog.Infof("Loading configuration file %s", *configFile)
 
 	conf, err := config.LoadFromFile(*configFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Couldn't load configuration (-config.file=%s): %v", *configFile, err)
 		glog.Errorf("Note: The configuration format has changed with version 0.14, please check the documentation.")
-		return
+		return false
 	}
 
 	p.webService.StatusHandler.ApplyConfig(conf)
 	p.targetManager.ApplyConfig(conf)
 	p.ruleManager.ApplyConfig(conf)
+
+	return true
 }
 
 // Serve starts the Prometheus server. It returns after the server has been shut
 // down. The method installs an interrupt handler, allowing to trigger a
 // shutdown by sending SIGTERM to the process.
 func (p *prometheus) Serve() {
+	if err := p.storage.Start(); err != nil {
+		glog.Error("Error opening memory series storage: ", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 	for _, q := range p.remoteStorageQueues {
 		go q.Run()
 	}
+
 	go p.ruleManager.Run()
 	go p.notificationHandler.Run()
 	go p.targetManager.Run()
 
-	p.storage.Start()
+	registry.MustRegister(p)
 
 	go func() {
 		err := p.webService.ServeForever(*pathPrefix)
@@ -387,6 +392,5 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	p := NewPrometheus()
-	registry.MustRegister(p)
 	p.Serve()
 }
diff --git a/storage/local/interface.go b/storage/local/interface.go
index 34ed30c7b..60df2d2f7 100644
--- a/storage/local/interface.go
+++ b/storage/local/interface.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ type Storage interface {
 	// Run the various maintenance loops in goroutines. Returns when the
 	// storage is ready to use. Keeps everything running in the background
 	// until Stop is called.
-	Start()
+	Start() error
 	// Stop shuts down the Storage gracefully, flushes all pending
 	// operations, stops all maintenance loops,and frees all resources.
 	Stop() error
diff --git a/storage/local/persistence.go b/storage/local/persistence.go
index 7b2a34cec..96d0adf08 100644
--- a/storage/local/persistence.go
+++ b/storage/local/persistence.go
@@ -268,10 +268,13 @@ func newPersistence(basePath string, dirty, pedanticChecks bool, shouldSync sync
 	p.labelPairToFingerprints = labelPairToFingerprints
 	p.labelNameToLabelValues = labelNameToLabelValues
 
-	go p.processIndexingQueue()
 	return p, nil
 }
 
+func (p *persistence) run() {
+	p.processIndexingQueue()
+}
+
 // Describe implements prometheus.Collector.
 func (p *persistence) Describe(ch chan<- *prometheus.Desc) {
 	ch <- p.indexingQueueLength.Desc()
diff --git a/storage/local/persistence_test.go b/storage/local/persistence_test.go
index 20bfe6216..00e36b792 100644
--- a/storage/local/persistence_test.go
+++ b/storage/local/persistence_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func newTestPersistence(t *testing.T, encoding chunkEncoding) (*persistence, tes
 		dir.Close()
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	go p.run()
 	return p, test.NewCallbackCloser(func() {
 		p.close()
 		dir.Close()
diff --git a/storage/local/storage.go b/storage/local/storage.go
index c6db45b2b..56371ca77 100644
--- a/storage/local/storage.go
+++ b/storage/local/storage.go
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ type memorySeriesStorage struct {
 	fpLocker   *fingerprintLocker
 	fpToSeries *seriesMap
 
+	options *MemorySeriesStorageOptions
+
 	loopStopping, loopStopped  chan struct{}
 	maxMemoryChunks            int
 	dropAfter                  time.Duration
@@ -124,10 +126,12 @@ type MemorySeriesStorageOptions struct {
 
 // NewMemorySeriesStorage returns a newly allocated Storage. Storage.Serve still
 // has to be called to start the storage.
-func NewMemorySeriesStorage(o *MemorySeriesStorageOptions) (Storage, error) {
+func NewMemorySeriesStorage(o *MemorySeriesStorageOptions) Storage {
 	s := &memorySeriesStorage{
 		fpLocker: newFingerprintLocker(1024),
 
+		options: o,
+
 		loopStopping:               make(chan struct{}),
 		loopStopped:                make(chan struct{}),
 		maxMemoryChunks:            o.MemoryChunks,
@@ -185,9 +189,13 @@ func NewMemorySeriesStorage(o *MemorySeriesStorageOptions) (Storage, error) {
 			[]string{seriesLocationLabel},
 		),
 	}
+	return s
+}
 
+// Start implements Storage.
+func (s *memorySeriesStorage) Start() error {
 	var syncStrategy syncStrategy
-	switch o.SyncStrategy {
+	switch s.options.SyncStrategy {
 	case Never:
 		syncStrategy = func() bool { return false }
 	case Always:
@@ -198,33 +206,32 @@ func NewMemorySeriesStorage(o *MemorySeriesStorageOptions) (Storage, error) {
 		panic("unknown sync strategy")
 	}
 
-	p, err := newPersistence(o.PersistenceStoragePath, o.Dirty, o.PedanticChecks, syncStrategy)
+	p, err := newPersistence(s.options.PersistenceStoragePath, s.options.Dirty, s.options.PedanticChecks, syncStrategy)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 	s.persistence = p
 
 	glog.Info("Loading series map and head chunks...")
 	s.fpToSeries, s.numChunksToPersist, err = p.loadSeriesMapAndHeads()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 	glog.Infof("%d series loaded.", s.fpToSeries.length())
 	s.numSeries.Set(float64(s.fpToSeries.length()))
 
 	mapper, err := newFPMapper(s.fpToSeries, p)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 	s.mapper = mapper
 
-	return s, nil
-}
+	go s.persistence.run()
 
-// Start implements Storage.
-func (s *memorySeriesStorage) Start() {
 	go s.handleEvictList()
 	go s.loop()
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Stop implements Storage.
diff --git a/storage/local/storage_test.go b/storage/local/storage_test.go
index 8ae4d3507..16ec17b01 100644
--- a/storage/local/storage_test.go
+++ b/storage/local/storage_test.go
@@ -163,9 +163,9 @@ func TestLoop(t *testing.T) {
 		CheckpointInterval:         250 * time.Millisecond,
 		SyncStrategy:               Adaptive,
 	}
-	storage, err := NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Error creating storage: %s", err)
+	storage := NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
+	if err := storage.Start; err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error starting storage: %s", err)
 	}
 	storage.Start()
 	for _, s := range samples {
@@ -731,9 +731,9 @@ func benchmarkFuzz(b *testing.B, encoding chunkEncoding) {
 		CheckpointInterval:         time.Second,
 		SyncStrategy:               Adaptive,
 	}
-	s, err := NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
-	if err != nil {
-		b.Fatalf("Error creating storage: %s", err)
+	s := NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
+	if err := s.Start(); err != nil {
+		b.Fatalf("Error starting storage: %s", err)
 	}
 	s.Start()
 	defer s.Stop()
diff --git a/storage/local/test_helpers.go b/storage/local/test_helpers.go
index a645bd1f5..21f6aa008 100644
--- a/storage/local/test_helpers.go
+++ b/storage/local/test_helpers.go
@@ -48,14 +48,12 @@ func NewTestStorage(t test.T, encoding chunkEncoding) (*memorySeriesStorage, tes
 		CheckpointInterval:         time.Hour,
 		SyncStrategy:               Adaptive,
 	}
-	storage, err := NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
-	if err != nil {
+	storage := NewMemorySeriesStorage(o)
+	if err := storage.Start(); err != nil {
 		directory.Close()
 		t.Fatalf("Error creating storage: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	storage.Start()
-
 	closer := &testStorageCloser{
 		storage:   storage,
 		directory: directory,