diff --git a/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go b/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go
index e89bf3c16163a2722ed34a573ef98fb66d6a1a15..c87719e5cd25ffa0c344cc5f32149af7fd27c751 100644
--- a/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go
+++ b/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func NewTendermintNode(moduleConfig *config.ModuleConfig,
 	// to be written in tendermint's root directory.
 	// NOTE: [ben] as elsewhere Sub panics if config file does not have this
 	// subtree. To shield in go-routine, or PR to viper.
-	if !moduleConfig.Config.IsSet("confighuration") {
+	if !moduleConfig.Config.IsSet("configuration") {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to extract Tendermint configuration subtree.")
 	}
 	tendermintConfigViper := moduleConfig.Config.Sub("configuration")
diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index 43b54402745d1f7b447c900547fd79924d8716c3..ae02d5b730f3e34edb9a17684e19b9d0c12fb2f7 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@ func NewCore(chainId string, consensusConfig *config.ModuleConfig,
 	}
 	log.Debug("Loaded pipe with application manager")
 	// pass the consensus engine into the pipe
-	consensus.LoadConsensusEngineInPipe(consensusConfig, pipe)
+	if e := consensus.LoadConsensusEngineInPipe(consensusConfig, pipe); e != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load consensus engine in pipe: %v", e)
+	}
 	tendermintPipe, err := pipe.GetTendermintPipe()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn(fmt.Sprintf("Tendermint gateway not supported by %s",