diff --git a/crates/repo-actor/src/tests/handlers/validate_repo.rs b/crates/repo-actor/src/tests/handlers/validate_repo.rs
index 2f33a0dc..c7479eed 100644
--- a/crates/repo-actor/src/tests/handlers/validate_repo.rs
+++ b/crates/repo-actor/src/tests/handlers/validate_repo.rs
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ async fn should_reject_message_with_expired_token() -> TestResult {
 }
 
 #[test_log::test(actix::test)]
-// NOTE: failed then passed on retry: count = 2
+// NOTE: failed then passed on retry: count = 3
 async fn should_send_validate_repo_when_retryable_error() -> TestResult {
     //given
     let fs = given::a_filesystem();
diff --git a/crates/server-actor/src/lib.rs b/crates/server-actor/src/lib.rs
index 8ccfbc7f..15dcb0dc 100644
--- a/crates/server-actor/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/server-actor/src/lib.rs
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ impl Handler<FileUpdated> for Server {
 impl Handler<ReceiveServerConfig> for Server {
     type Result = ();
 
-    #[allow(clippy::cognitive_complexity)] // TODO: (#75) reduce complexity
     fn handle(&mut self, msg: ReceiveServerConfig, _ctx: &mut Self::Context) -> Self::Result {
         let Ok(socket_addr) = msg.http() else {
             warn!("Unable to parse http.addr");
@@ -76,27 +75,9 @@ impl Handler<ReceiveServerConfig> for Server {
         }
         self.generation.inc();
         let server_config = msg;
-        // Server Storage
-        let dir = server_config.storage().path();
-        if !dir.exists() {
-            info!(?dir, "server storage doesn't exist - creating it");
-            if let Err(err) = self.fs.dir_create(dir) {
-                error!(?err, ?dir, "Failed to create server storage");
-                return;
-            }
-        }
-        let Ok(canon) = dir.canonicalize() else {
-            error!(?dir, "Failed to confirm server storage");
+        let Some(server_storage) = self.server_storage(&server_config) else {
             return;
         };
-        info!(dir = ?canon, "server storage");
-
-        // Forge directories in Server Storage
-        let server_storage = server_config.storage();
-        if let Err(err) = self.create_forge_data_directories(&server_config, dir) {
-            error!(?err, "Failure creating forge storage");
-            return;
-        }
 
         // Webhook Server
         info!("Starting Webhook Server...");
@@ -247,4 +228,27 @@ impl Server {
         info!("Started");
         (repo_alias, addr)
     }
+
+    fn server_storage<'cfg>(
+        &self,
+        server_config: &'cfg ReceiveServerConfig,
+    ) -> Option<&'cfg ServerStorage> {
+        let server_storage = server_config.storage();
+        let dir = server_storage.path();
+        if !dir.exists() {
+            if let Err(err) = self.fs.dir_create(dir) {
+                error!(?err, ?dir, "Failed to create server storage");
+                return None;
+            }
+        }
+        let Ok(canon) = dir.canonicalize() else {
+            error!(?dir, "Failed to confirm server storage");
+            return None;
+        };
+        if let Err(err) = self.create_forge_data_directories(server_config, &canon) {
+            error!(?err, "Failure creating forge storage");
+            return None;
+        }
+        Some(server_storage)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/server/src/lib.rs b/crates/server/src/lib.rs
index 8a4003c7..601b0aeb 100644
--- a/crates/server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/server/src/lib.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ pub fn start(
 
     info!("Starting Server...");
     let execution = async move {
-        //-
         let server = Server::new(fs.clone(), net.clone(), repo, sleep_duration).start();
         server.do_send(FileUpdated);