diff --git a/src/basic/main.c b/src/basic/main.c
index ca8cb5a6c..ad567a8d0 100644
--- a/src/basic/main.c
+++ b/src/basic/main.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv)
 {
   int err;
 
+  log_open("eressea.log");
   load_config("eressea.ini");
 
   err = eressea_init();
diff --git a/src/common/eressea.c b/src/common/eressea.c
index 38f72b2e8..3c94593ac 100644
--- a/src/common/eressea.c
+++ b/src/common/eressea.c
@@ -193,10 +193,10 @@ void eressea_done(void)
 static int
 log_lua_error(lua_State * L)
 {
-  static int s_abort_on_errors = 0;
+  static int s_abort_on_errors = 1;
   const char* error = lua_tostring(L, -1);
 
-  log_error(("A LUA error occurred: %s\n", error));
+  log_error(("LUA call failed.\n%s\n", error));
   lua_pop(L, 1);
 
   if (s_abort_on_errors) {
@@ -207,22 +207,27 @@ log_lua_error(lua_State * L)
 
 int eressea_run(const char * luafile, const char * entry_point)
 {
+  int err;
   lua_State * L = (lua_State *)global.vm_state;
   /* run the main script */
   if (luafile) {
     lua_getglobal(L, "dofile");
     lua_pushstring(L, luafile);
-    if (lua_pcall(L, 1, 0, 0) != 0) {
+    err = lua_pcall(L, 1, 0, 0);
+    if (err != 0) {
       log_lua_error(L);
+      return err;
     }
   }
   if (entry_point) {
     lua_getglobal(L, entry_point);
-    if (lua_pcall(L, 0, 1, 0) != 0) {
+    err = lua_pcall(L, 0, 1, 0);
+    if (err != 0) {
       log_lua_error(L);
+      return err;
     }
   } else {
-    lua_console(L);
+    err = lua_console(L);
   }
-  return 0;
+  return err;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/kernel/config.c b/src/common/kernel/config.c
index 49026d740..1b688d7b7 100644
--- a/src/common/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/common/kernel/config.c
@@ -2226,7 +2226,6 @@ kernel_done(void)
    * calling it is optional, e.g. a release server will most likely not do it.
    */
   translation_done();
-  skill_done();
   gc_done();
   sql_done();
 }
@@ -3163,7 +3162,6 @@ void
 kernel_init(void)
 {
   char zBuffer[MAX_PATH];
-  skill_init();
   attrib_init();
   translation_init();
 
diff --git a/src/common/kernel/skill.c b/src/common/kernel/skill.c
index 77674927e..183d55d10 100644
--- a/src/common/kernel/skill.c
+++ b/src/common/kernel/skill.c
@@ -253,26 +253,6 @@ rc_skillmod(const struct race * rc, const region *r, skill_t sk)
   return mods;
 }
 
-void
-skill_init(void)
-{
-}
-
-void
-skill_done(void)
-{
-#ifdef FASTER_SKILLMOD
-	int i;
-	for (i = 0;i!=RCMODMAXHASH;++i) {
-		while (modhash[i]) {
-			struct skillmods * mods = modhash[i];
-			modhash[i] = mods->next;
-			free(mods);
-		}
-	}
-#endif
-}
-
 int
 level_days(int level)
 {
diff --git a/src/common/kernel/skill.h b/src/common/kernel/skill.h
index e42d87247..1ed5c6ad6 100644
--- a/src/common/kernel/skill.h
+++ b/src/common/kernel/skill.h
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ typedef struct skillmod_data {
 extern struct attrib_type at_skillmod;
 extern int rc_skillmod(const struct race * rc, const struct region *r, skill_t sk);
 extern int skillmod(const struct attrib * a, const struct unit * u, const struct region * r, skill_t sk, int value, int flags);
-extern void skill_init(void);
-extern void skill_done(void);
 extern struct attrib * make_skillmod(skill_t sk, unsigned int flags, skillmod_fun special, double multiplier, int bonus);
 
 extern const char * skillname(skill_t, const struct locale *);