diff --git a/icinga-app/icinga.cpp b/icinga-app/icinga.cpp
index af2ca239f..fd4cbeba3 100644
--- a/icinga-app/icinga.cpp
+++ b/icinga-app/icinga.cpp
@@ -132,20 +132,25 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	Component::AddSearchDir(ICINGA_LIBDIR);
 #endif /* ICINGA_LIBDIR */
 
-	DynamicObject::BeginTx();
+	try {
+		DynamicObject::BeginTx();
 
-	/* load config file */
-	String configFile = argv[2];
-	vector<ConfigItem::Ptr> configItems = ConfigCompiler::CompileFile(configFile);
+		/* load config file */
+		String configFile = argv[2];
+		vector<ConfigItem::Ptr> configItems = ConfigCompiler::CompileFile(configFile);
 
-	Logger::Write(LogInformation, "icinga", "Executing config items...");  
+		Logger::Write(LogInformation, "icinga", "Executing config items...");  
 
-	BOOST_FOREACH(const ConfigItem::Ptr& item, configItems) {
-		item->Commit();
+		BOOST_FOREACH(const ConfigItem::Ptr& item, configItems) {
+			item->Commit();
+		}
+
+		DynamicObject::FinishTx();
+	} catch (const exception& ex) {
+		Logger::Write(LogCritical, "icinga", "Configuration error: " + String(ex.what()));
+		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	DynamicObject::FinishTx();
-
 	Application::Ptr app = Application::GetInstance();
 
 	if (!app)
diff --git a/lib/base/application.cpp b/lib/base/application.cpp
index 5071be06f..a445a1c20 100644
--- a/lib/base/application.cpp
+++ b/lib/base/application.cpp
@@ -167,11 +167,19 @@ void Application::TimeWatchThreadProc(void)
  * Signals the application to shut down during the next
  * execution of the event loop.
  */
-void Application::Shutdown(void)
+void Application::RequestShutdown(void)
 {
 	m_ShuttingDown = true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Terminates the application.
+ */
+void Application::Terminate(int exitCode)
+{
+	_exit(exitCode);
+}
+
 /**
  * Retrieves the full path of the executable.
  *
@@ -283,7 +291,7 @@ void Application::SigIntHandler(int signum)
 	if (!instance)
 		return;
 
-	instance->Shutdown();
+	instance->RequestShutdown();
 
 	struct sigaction sa;
 	memset(&sa, 0, sizeof(sa));
@@ -302,7 +310,7 @@ BOOL WINAPI Application::CtrlHandler(DWORD type)
 	if (!instance)
 		return TRUE;
 
-	instance->GetInstance()->Shutdown();
+	instance->GetInstance()->RequestShutdown();
 
 	SetConsoleCtrlHandler(NULL, FALSE);
 	return TRUE;
@@ -347,7 +355,8 @@ int Application::Run(int argc, char **argv)
 }
 
 /**
- * Grabs the PID file lock and updates the PID.
+ * Grabs the PID file lock and updates the PID. Terminates the application
+ * if the PID file is already locked by another instance of the application.
  *
  * @param filename The name of the PID file.
  */
@@ -366,9 +375,11 @@ void Application::UpdatePidFile(const String& filename)
 	if (flock(fileno(m_PidFile), LOCK_EX | LOCK_NB) < 0) {
 		ClosePidFile();
 
-		throw_exception(runtime_error("Another instance of the application is "
+		Logger::Write(LogCritical, "base",
+		    "Another instance of the application is "
 		    "already running. Remove the '" + filename + "' file if "
-		    "you're certain that this is not the case."));
+		    "you're certain that this is not the case.");
+		Terminate(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 #endif /* _WIN32 */
 
diff --git a/lib/base/application.h b/lib/base/application.h
index 485d43640..3d9b644f6 100644
--- a/lib/base/application.h
+++ b/lib/base/application.h
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ public:
 	 */
 	virtual int Main(const vector<String>& args) = 0;
 
-	static void Shutdown(void);
+	static void RequestShutdown(void);
+	static void Terminate(int exitCode);
 
 	static bool IsDebugging(void);