diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 20052e1..a35bc68 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ var (
 	version = "dev"
 )
 
-func checkMonitors(config *Config) {
+func checkMonitors(config *Config) error {
 	for _, monitor := range config.Monitors {
 		if monitor.ShouldCheck() {
 			_, alertNotice := monitor.Check()
@@ -43,13 +43,12 @@ func checkMonitors(config *Config) {
 								err,
 								output,
 							)
-							// TODO: Maybe return this error instead of panicking here
-							panic(fmt.Errorf(
+							return fmt.Errorf(
 								"ERROR: Unsuccessfully triggered alert '%s'. "+
 									"Crashing to avoid false negatives: %v",
 								alert.Name,
 								err,
-							))
+							)
 						}
 					} else {
 						// TODO: Maybe panic here. Also, probably validate up front
@@ -59,6 +58,8 @@ func checkMonitors(config *Config) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func main() {
@@ -81,7 +82,10 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Start main loop
 	for {
-		checkMonitors(&config)
+		err = checkMonitors(&config)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
 
 		sleepTime := time.Duration(config.CheckInterval) * time.Second
 		time.Sleep(sleepTime)
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index b574dcc..c0ca1ee 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ import "testing"
 
 func TestCheckMonitors(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
-		config      Config
-		expectPanic bool
-		name        string
+		config    Config
+		expectErr bool
+		name      string
 	}{
 		{
-			config:      Config{},
-			expectPanic: false,
-			name:        "Empty",
+			config:    Config{},
+			expectErr: false,
+			name:      "Empty",
 		},
 		{
 			config: Config{
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ func TestCheckMonitors(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectPanic: false,
-			name:        "Monitor success, no alerts",
+			expectErr: false,
+			name:      "Monitor success, no alerts",
 		},
 		{
 			config: Config{
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ func TestCheckMonitors(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectPanic: false,
-			name:        "Monitor failure, no and unknown alerts",
+			expectErr: false,
+			name:      "Monitor failure, no and unknown alerts",
 		},
 		{
 			config: Config{
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ func TestCheckMonitors(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectPanic: false,
-			name:        "Monitor recovery, no alerts",
+			expectErr: false,
+			name:      "Monitor recovery, no alerts",
 		},
 		{
 			config: Config{
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ func TestCheckMonitors(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectPanic: false,
-			name:        "Monitor failure, successful alert",
+			expectErr: false,
+			name:      "Monitor failure, successful alert",
 		},
 		{
 			config: Config{
@@ -99,24 +99,16 @@ func TestCheckMonitors(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expectPanic: true,
-			name:        "Monitor failure, bad alert",
+			expectErr: true,
+			name:      "Monitor failure, bad alert",
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range cases {
-		// Create new function so that deferred recovery can run at end of each test case
-		func() {
-			// Set up recover to catch panic
-			defer func() {
-				if r := recover(); r == nil {
-					if c.expectPanic {
-						t.Errorf("checkMonitors(%s): Expected panic, the code did not panic", c.name)
-					}
-				}
-			}()
-			c.config.Init()
-			checkMonitors(&c.config)
-		}()
+		c.config.Init()
+		err := checkMonitors(&c.config)
+		if err == nil && c.expectErr {
+			t.Errorf("checkMonitors(%s): Expected panic, the code did not panic", c.name)
+		}
 	}
 }