diff --git a/mocks/redismock.js b/mocks/redismock.js
index 6eec84e37d..cfdbb4d9fe 100644
--- a/mocks/redismock.js
+++ b/mocks/redismock.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 		errorText = 'redis_test database is not defined';
 		winston.info(
 			"\n===========================================================\n"+
-			"Please, add parameters for test database in config.js\n"+
+			"Please, add parameters for test database in config.json\n"+
 			"For example:\n"+
 				'"redis_test": {' + '\n' +
 				'   "host": "127.0.0.1",' + '\n' +
diff --git a/src/redis.js b/src/redis.js
index 3738ae6d12..8b9ebbcdb8 100644
--- a/src/redis.js
+++ b/src/redis.js
@@ -20,14 +20,12 @@
 		RedisDB.auth(nconf.get('redis:password'));
 	}
 
-	var db = nconf.get('redis:database');
+	var db = parseInt(nconf.get('redis:database'), 10);
 	if (db){
 		RedisDB.select(db, function(error){
 			if(error !== null){
-				winston.err(error);
-				if (global.env !== 'production') {
-					throw new Error(error);
-				}
+				winston.error("NodeBB could not connect to your Redis database. Redis returned the following error: " + error.message);
+				process.exit();
 			}
 		});
 	}