diff --git a/crates/cli/src/forge/mod.rs b/crates/cli/src/forge/mod.rs
index a3e08a6..6a85954 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/forge/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/forge/mod.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ impl Forge {
             ForgeType::ForgeJo => Box::new(ForgeJo::new(repo_details, net)),
             #[cfg(feature = "github")]
             ForgeType::GitHub => Box::new(Github::new(repo_details, net)),
-            _ => unreachable!(),
+            _ => {
+                drop(repo_details);
+                drop(net);
+                unreachable!();
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/mod.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/mod.rs
index a5e6358..4a5aea3 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/mod.rs
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@ mod receive_app_config;
 mod receive_valid_app_config;
 mod server_update;
 mod shutdown;
+mod shutdown_trigger;
 mod subscribe_updates;
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/shutdown_trigger.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/shutdown_trigger.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7469583
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/handlers/shutdown_trigger.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+//
+use actix::Handler;
+
+use crate::server::{actor::messages::ShutdownTrigger, ServerActor};
+
+impl Handler<ShutdownTrigger> for ServerActor {
+    type Result = ();
+
+    fn handle(&mut self, msg: ShutdownTrigger, _ctx: &mut Self::Context) -> Self::Result {
+        self.shutdown_trigger.replace(msg.peel());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/messages.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/messages.rs
index ed5503c..a6ba308 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/messages.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/messages.rs
@@ -99,3 +99,13 @@ message!(
     Recipient<ServerUpdate>,
     "Subscribe to receive updates from the server"
 );
+
+/// Sends a channel to be used to shutdown the server
+#[derive(Message, Constructor)]
+#[rtype(result = "()")]
+pub struct ShutdownTrigger(std::sync::mpsc::Sender<String>);
+impl ShutdownTrigger {
+    pub fn peel(self) -> std::sync::mpsc::Sender<String> {
+        self.0
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/mod.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/mod.rs
index 74eefab..b7d0b0e 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/server/actor/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/actor/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //
 use actix::prelude::*;
-use messages::{ReceiveAppConfig, ServerUpdate};
+use messages::{ReceiveAppConfig, ServerUpdate, Shutdown};
 use tracing::error;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ pub struct ServerActor {
     sleep_duration: std::time::Duration,
     repo_actors: BTreeMap<(ForgeAlias, RepoAlias), Addr<RepoActor>>,
 
+    shutdown_trigger: Option<std::sync::mpsc::Sender<String>>,
     subscribers: Vec<Recipient<ServerUpdate>>,
 
     // testing
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ impl ServerActor {
             net,
             alerts,
             repository_factory: repo,
+            shutdown_trigger: None,
             subscribers: Vec::default(),
             sleep_duration,
             repo_actors: BTreeMap::new(),
@@ -228,10 +230,15 @@ impl ServerActor {
     }
 
     /// Attempts to gracefully shutdown the server before stopping the system.
-    fn abort(&self, ctx: &<Self as actix::Actor>::Context, message: impl Into<String>) {
-        tracing::error!("Aborting: {}", message.into());
+    fn abort(&mut self, ctx: &<Self as actix::Actor>::Context, message: impl Into<String>) {
         self.do_send(crate::server::actor::messages::Shutdown, ctx);
-        System::current().stop_with_code(1);
+        if let Some(t) = self.shutdown_trigger.take() {
+            let _ = t.send(message.into());
+        } else {
+            error!("{}", message.into());
+            self.do_send(Shutdown, ctx);
+            // System::current().stop_with_code(1);
+        }
     }
 
     fn do_send<M>(&self, msg: M, ctx: &<Self as actix::Actor>::Context)
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs b/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs
index c63a781..dfa5a3a 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/server/mod.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ mod tests;
 
 use actix::prelude::*;
 use actix_rt::signal;
+use actor::messages::ShutdownTrigger;
 
 use crate::{
     alerts::{AlertsActor, History},
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ use tracing::{error, info};
 
 use std::{
     path::PathBuf,
-    sync::{atomic::Ordering, Arc, RwLock},
+    sync::{atomic::Ordering, mpsc::channel, Arc, RwLock},
     time::Duration,
 };
 
@@ -61,8 +62,10 @@ pub fn start(
         init_logging();
     }
 
-    let file_watcher_err_channel: Arc<RwLock<Option<anyhow::Error>>> = Arc::new(RwLock::new(None));
-    let file_watcher_err_channel_exec = file_watcher_err_channel.clone();
+    let shutdown_message_holder: Arc<RwLock<Option<String>>> = Arc::new(RwLock::new(None));
+    let shutdown_message_holder_exec = shutdown_message_holder.clone();
+    let file_watcher_err_holder: Arc<RwLock<Option<anyhow::Error>>> = Arc::new(RwLock::new(None));
+    let file_watcher_err_holder_exec = file_watcher_err_holder.clone();
     let execution = async move {
         info!("Starting Alert Dispatcher...");
         let alerts_addr = AlertsActor::new(None, History::new(A_DAY), net.clone()).start();
@@ -80,37 +83,51 @@ pub fn start(
                 server.do_send(crate::server::actor::messages::Shutdown);
                 actix_rt::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
                 System::current().stop();
-                let _ = file_watcher_err_channel_exec
+                let _ = file_watcher_err_holder_exec
                     .write()
                     .map(|mut o| o.replace(err));
                 return;
             }
         };
 
+        let (tx_shutdown, rx_shutdown) = channel::<String>();
         if ui {
             #[cfg(feature = "tui")]
             {
                 use crate::server::actor::messages::SubscribeToUpdates;
                 use crate::tui;
-                use std::sync::mpsc::channel;
 
-                let (tx_shutdown, rx_shutdown) = channel::<()>();
-                let tui_addr = tui::Tui::new(tx_shutdown).start();
+                let (tx_shutdown, rx_shutdown) = channel::<String>();
+                let tui_addr = tui::Tui::new(tx_shutdown.clone()).start();
                 server.do_send(SubscribeToUpdates::new(tui_addr.clone().recipient()));
+                server.do_send(ShutdownTrigger::new(tx_shutdown));
                 server.do_send(FileUpdated); // update file after ui subscription in place
                 loop {
                     let _ = tui_addr.send(tui::Tick).await;
-                    if rx_shutdown.try_recv().is_ok() {
+                    if let Ok(message) = rx_shutdown.try_recv() {
+                        let _ = shutdown_message_holder_exec
+                            .write()
+                            .map(|mut o| o.replace(message));
                         break;
                     }
                     actix_rt::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(16)).await;
                 }
             }
         } else {
+            server.do_send(ShutdownTrigger::new(tx_shutdown.clone()));
             server.do_send(FileUpdated);
             info!("Server running - Press Ctrl-C to stop...");
-            let _ = signal::ctrl_c().await;
-            info!("Ctrl-C received, shutting down...");
+
+            actix_rt::spawn(async move {
+                let _ = signal::ctrl_c().await;
+                info!("Ctrl-C received, shutting down...");
+                let _ = tx_shutdown.send(String::new());
+            });
+            if let Ok(message) = rx_shutdown.try_recv() {
+                let _ = shutdown_message_holder_exec
+                    .write()
+                    .map(|mut o| o.replace(message));
+            }
         }
 
         // shutdown
@@ -124,10 +141,24 @@ pub fn start(
     Arbiter::current().spawn(execution);
     system.run()?;
 
+    // check for error from server thread
+    #[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
+    if let Some(err) = &*shutdown_message_holder.read().unwrap() {
+        #[cfg(feature = "tui")]
+        if ui {
+            ratatui::restore();
+            eprintln!("Server: {err:?}");
+        }
+        error!(?err, "server");
+        return Err(color_eyre::eyre::eyre!(format!("{err}")));
+    }
+
     // check for error from file watcher thread
     #[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
-    if let Some(err) = &*file_watcher_err_channel.read().unwrap() {
+    if let Some(err) = &*file_watcher_err_holder.read().unwrap() {
+        #[cfg(feature = "tui")]
         if ui {
+            ratatui::restore();
             eprintln!("File Watcher: {err:?}");
         }
         error!(?err, "file watcher");
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/tui/actor/mod.rs b/crates/cli/src/tui/actor/mod.rs
index a156031..848c8f8 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/tui/actor/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/tui/actor/mod.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use tui_scrollview::ScrollViewState;
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Tui {
     terminal: Option<DefaultTerminal>,
-    signal_shutdown: Sender<()>,
+    signal_shutdown: Sender<String>,
     pub state: State,
     scroll_view_state: ScrollViewState,
 }
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ impl Actor for Tui {
     }
 }
 impl Tui {
-    pub fn new(signal_shutdown: Sender<()>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(signal_shutdown: Sender<String>) -> Self {
         Self {
             terminal: None,
             signal_shutdown,
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ impl Tui {
             match key.code {
                 KeyCode::Char('q') => {
                     ctx.stop();
-                    if let Err(err) = self.signal_shutdown.send(()) {
+                    if let Err(err) = self.signal_shutdown.send(String::new()) {
                         tracing::error!(?err, "Failed to signal shutdown");
                     }
                 }