diff --git a/app/Config.hs b/app/Config.hs
--- a/app/Config.hs
+++ b/app/Config.hs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
   , configHost              :: Text
   , configPort              :: Int
 
-  , configJwtSecret         :: Maybe B.ByteString
+  , configJwtSecret         :: B.ByteString
   , configJwtSecretIsBase64 :: Bool
 
   , configPool              :: Int
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@
     cHost     <- C.lookupDefault "*4" conf "server-host"
     cPort     <- C.lookupDefault 3000 conf "server-port"
     -- jwt ---------------
-    cJwtSec   <- C.lookup conf "jwt-secret"
+    cJwtSec   <- C.require conf "jwt-secret"
     cJwtB64   <- C.lookupDefault False conf "secret-is-base64"
 
-    return $ AppConfig cDbUri cPath cHost cPort (encodeUtf8 <$> cJwtSec) cJwtB64 cPool
+    return $ AppConfig cDbUri cPath cHost cPort (encodeUtf8 cJwtSec) cJwtB64 cPool
 
  where
   opts = info (helper <*> pathParser) $
diff --git a/app/Main.hs b/app/Main.hs
--- a/app/Main.hs
+++ b/app/Main.hs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import           Protolude
 import           PostgRESTWS
-import           PostgRESTWS.Broadcast
 import           PostgRESTWS.HasqlBroadcast
 import           Config                               (AppConfig (..),
                                                        PgVersion (..),
@@ -17,7 +16,6 @@
 import           Data.Text.Encoding                   (encodeUtf8, decodeUtf8)
 import           Data.Text.IO                         (readFile)
 import           Data.Time.Clock.POSIX                (getPOSIXTime)
-import qualified Hasql.Connection                     as H
 import qualified Hasql.Query                          as H
 import qualified Hasql.Session                        as H
 import qualified Hasql.Decoders                       as HD
@@ -59,29 +57,26 @@
   putStrLn $ ("Listening on port " :: Text) <> show (configPort conf)
 
   pool <- P.acquire (configPool conf, 10, pgSettings)
-  conOrError <- H.acquire pgSettings
-  let con = either (panic . show) id conOrError :: H.Connection
 
   -- ask for the OS time at most once per second
   getTime <- mkAutoUpdate
     defaultUpdateSettings { updateAction = getPOSIXTime }
 
-  multi <- newHasqlBroadcaster con
-  void $ relayMessagesForever multi
+  multiOrError <- newHasqlBroadcasterOrError pgSettings
+  let multi = either (panic . show) id multiOrError
 
   runSettings appSettings $
     postgrestWsMiddleware (configJwtSecret conf) getTime pool multi $
     logStdout $ staticApp $ defaultFileServerSettings $ toS $ configPath conf
 
 loadSecretFile :: AppConfig -> IO AppConfig
-loadSecretFile conf = extractAndTransform mSecret
+loadSecretFile conf = extractAndTransform secret
   where
-    mSecret   = decodeUtf8 <$> configJwtSecret conf
+    secret   = decodeUtf8 $ configJwtSecret conf
     isB64     = configJwtSecretIsBase64 conf
 
-    extractAndTransform :: Maybe Text -> IO AppConfig
-    extractAndTransform Nothing  = return conf
-    extractAndTransform (Just s) =
+    extractAndTransform :: Text -> IO AppConfig
+    extractAndTransform s =
       fmap setSecret $ transformString isB64 =<<
         case stripPrefix "@" s of
             Nothing       -> return s
@@ -94,6 +89,6 @@
         Left errMsg -> panic $ pack errMsg
         Right bs    -> return bs
 
-    setSecret bs = conf { configJwtSecret = Just bs }
+    setSecret bs = conf { configJwtSecret = bs }
 
     replaceUrlChars = replace "_" "/" . replace "-" "+" . replace "." "="
diff --git a/postgrest-ws.cabal b/postgrest-ws.cabal
--- a/postgrest-ws.cabal
+++ b/postgrest-ws.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                postgrest-ws
-version:             0.2.0.0
+version:             0.3.0.0
 synopsis:            PostgREST extension to map LISTEN/NOTIFY messages to Websockets
 description:         Please see README.md
 homepage:            https://github.com/diogob/postgrest-ws#readme
diff --git a/src/PostgRESTWS.hs b/src/PostgRESTWS.hs
--- a/src/PostgRESTWS.hs
+++ b/src/PostgRESTWS.hs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 instance A.ToJSON Message
 
 -- | Given a Maybe Secret, a function to fetch the system time, a Hasql Pool and a Multiplexer this will give you a WAI middleware.
-postgrestWsMiddleware :: Maybe ByteString -> IO POSIXTime -> H.Pool -> Multiplexer -> Wai.Application -> Wai.Application
+postgrestWsMiddleware :: ByteString -> IO POSIXTime -> H.Pool -> Multiplexer -> Wai.Application -> Wai.Application
 postgrestWsMiddleware =
   WS.websocketsOr WS.defaultConnectionOptions `compose` wsApp
   where
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@
 
 -- when the websocket is closed a ConnectionClosed Exception is triggered
 -- this kills all children and frees resources for us
-wsApp :: Maybe ByteString -> IO POSIXTime -> H.Pool -> Multiplexer -> WS.ServerApp
-wsApp mSecret getTime pqCon multi pendingConn =
-  getTime >>= forkSessionsWhenTokenIsValid . validateClaims mSecret jwtToken
+wsApp :: ByteString -> IO POSIXTime -> H.Pool -> Multiplexer -> WS.ServerApp
+wsApp secret getTime pqCon multi pendingConn =
+  getTime >>= forkSessionsWhenTokenIsValid . validateClaims secret jwtToken
   where
     forkSessionsWhenTokenIsValid = either rejectRequest forkSessions
     hasRead m = m == ("r" :: ByteString) || m == ("rw" :: ByteString)
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
           when (hasRead mode) $
             onMessage multi channel (\ch ->
               forever $ atomically (readTChan ch) >>= WS.sendTextData conn . B.payload)
-              
+
           notifySessionFinished <- if hasWrite mode
             then forkAndWait $ forever $ notifySession channel validClaims pqCon conn
             else newMVar ()
diff --git a/src/PostgRESTWS/Claims.hs b/src/PostgRESTWS/Claims.hs
--- a/src/PostgRESTWS/Claims.hs
+++ b/src/PostgRESTWS/Claims.hs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 type Claims = M.HashMap Text Value
 type ConnectionInfo = (ByteString, ByteString, Claims)
 
-validateClaims :: Maybe ByteString -> Text -> POSIXTime -> Either Text ConnectionInfo
+validateClaims :: ByteString -> Text -> POSIXTime -> Either Text ConnectionInfo
 validateClaims secret jwtToken time = do
   cl <- case jwtClaims jwtSecret jwtToken time of
     JWTClaims c -> Right c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   mode <- value2BS jMode
   Right (channel, mode, cl)
   where
-    jwtSecret = binarySecret <$> secret
+    jwtSecret = binarySecret secret
     value2BS val = case val of
       String s -> Right $ encodeUtf8 s
       _ -> Left "claim is not string value"
@@ -56,20 +56,17 @@
   Receives the JWT secret (from config) and a JWT and returns a map
   of JWT claims.
 -}
-jwtClaims :: Maybe JWT.Secret -> Text -> NominalDiffTime -> JWTAttempt
+jwtClaims :: JWT.Secret -> Text -> NominalDiffTime -> JWTAttempt
 jwtClaims _ "" _ = JWTClaims M.empty
 jwtClaims secret jwt time =
-  case secret of
-    Nothing -> JWTMissingSecret
-    Just s ->
-      let mClaims = toJSON . JWT.claims <$> JWT.decodeAndVerifySignature s jwt in
-      case isExpired <$> mClaims of
-        Just True -> JWTExpired
-        Nothing -> JWTInvalid
-        Just False -> JWTClaims $ value2map $ fromJust mClaims
- where
-  isExpired claims =
-    let mExp = claims ^? key "exp" . _Integer
-    in fromMaybe False $ (<= time) . fromInteger <$> mExp
-  value2map (Object o) = o
-  value2map _          = M.empty
+  case isExpired <$> mClaims of
+    Just True -> JWTExpired
+    Nothing -> JWTInvalid
+    Just False -> JWTClaims $ value2map $ fromJust mClaims
+  where
+    mClaims = toJSON . JWT.claims <$> JWT.decodeAndVerifySignature secret jwt
+    isExpired claims =
+      let mExp = claims ^? key "exp" . _Integer
+      in fromMaybe False $ (<= time) . fromInteger <$> mExp
+    value2map (Object o) = o
+    value2map _          = M.empty
diff --git a/src/PostgRESTWS/HasqlBroadcast.hs b/src/PostgRESTWS/HasqlBroadcast.hs
--- a/src/PostgRESTWS/HasqlBroadcast.hs
+++ b/src/PostgRESTWS/HasqlBroadcast.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 -}
 module PostgRESTWS.HasqlBroadcast
   ( newHasqlBroadcaster
+  , newHasqlBroadcasterOrError
   -- re-export
   , acquire
   , relayMessages
@@ -17,12 +18,23 @@
 import Protolude
 
 import Hasql.Connection
+import Data.Either.Combinators (mapBoth)
 
 import PostgRESTWS.Database
 import PostgRESTWS.Broadcast
 
+{- | Returns a multiplexer from a connection URI or an error message on the left case
+   This function also spawns a thread that keeps relaying the messages from the database to the multiplexer's listeners
+-}
+   
+newHasqlBroadcasterOrError :: ByteString -> IO (Either ByteString Multiplexer)
+newHasqlBroadcasterOrError =
+  acquire >=> (sequence . mapBoth show newHasqlBroadcaster)
+
 {- | Returns a multiplexer from a connection, listen for different database notification channels using that connection.
 
+   This function also spawns a thread that keeps relaying the messages from the database to the multiplexer's listeners
+
    To listen on channels *chat*
 
    @
@@ -42,7 +54,9 @@
 
 -}
 newHasqlBroadcaster :: Connection -> IO Multiplexer
-newHasqlBroadcaster con = newMultiplexer (\cmds msgs-> do
+newHasqlBroadcaster con = do
+  multi <-
+    newMultiplexer (\cmds msgs-> do
     waitForNotifications
       (\c m-> atomically $ writeTQueue msgs $ Message c m)
       con
@@ -52,3 +66,5 @@
         Open ch -> listen con ch
         Close ch -> unlisten con ch
     ) (\_ -> return ())
+  void $ relayMessagesForever multi
+  return multi