diff --git a/src/rdb.c b/src/rdb.c
index 0c572807..7d11a113 100644
--- a/src/rdb.c
+++ b/src/rdb.c
@@ -937,18 +937,23 @@ int rdbLoad(char *filename) {
     long loops = 0;
 
     fp = fopen(filename,"r");
-    if (!fp) return REDIS_ERR;
+    if (!fp) {
+        errno = ENOENT;
+        return REDIS_ERR;
+    }
     if (fread(buf,9,1,fp) == 0) goto eoferr;
     buf[9] = '\0';
     if (memcmp(buf,"REDIS",5) != 0) {
         fclose(fp);
         redisLog(REDIS_WARNING,"Wrong signature trying to load DB from file");
+        errno = EINVAL;
         return REDIS_ERR;
     }
     rdbver = atoi(buf+5);
     if (rdbver < 1 || rdbver > 2) {
         fclose(fp);
         redisLog(REDIS_WARNING,"Can't handle RDB format version %d",rdbver);
+        errno = EINVAL;
         return REDIS_ERR;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/redis.c b/src/redis.c
index 302bf438..f7900fbd 100644
--- a/src/redis.c
+++ b/src/redis.c
@@ -1651,8 +1651,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         if (loadAppendOnlyFile(server.appendfilename) == REDIS_OK)
             redisLog(REDIS_NOTICE,"DB loaded from append only file: %ld seconds",time(NULL)-start);
     } else {
-        if (rdbLoad(server.dbfilename) == REDIS_OK)
-            redisLog(REDIS_NOTICE,"DB loaded from disk: %ld seconds",time(NULL)-start);
+        if (rdbLoad(server.dbfilename) == REDIS_OK) {
+            redisLog(REDIS_NOTICE,"DB loaded from disk: %ld seconds",
+                time(NULL)-start);
+        } else if (errno != ENOENT) {
+            redisLog(REDIS_WARNING,"Fatal error loading the DB. Exiting.");
+            exit(1);
+        }
     }
     if (server.ipfd > 0)
         redisLog(REDIS_NOTICE,"The server is now ready to accept connections on port %d", server.port);