diff --git a/lib/utils/api.py b/lib/utils/api.py
index 9337fe000..15a1047b6 100644
--- a/lib/utils/api.py
+++ b/lib/utils/api.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from lib.core.datatype import AttribDict
 from lib.core.defaults import _defaults
 from lib.core.enums import CONTENT_STATUS
 from lib.core.enums import PART_RUN_CONTENT_TYPES
+from lib.core.exception import SqlmapConnectionException
 from lib.core.log import LOGGER_HANDLER
 from lib.core.optiondict import optDict
 from lib.core.subprocessng import Popen
@@ -66,8 +67,11 @@ class Database(object):
         logger.debug("REST-JSON API %s connected to IPC database" % who)
 
     def disconnect(self):
-        self.cursor.close()
-        self.connection.close()
+        if self.cursor:
+            self.cursor.close()
+
+        if self.connection:
+            self.connection.close()
 
     def commit(self):
         self.connection.commit()
@@ -252,8 +256,11 @@ class LogRecorder(logging.StreamHandler):
 
 def setRestAPILog():
     if hasattr(conf, "api"):
-        conf.database_cursor = Database(conf.database)
-        conf.database_cursor.connect("client")
+        try:
+            conf.database_cursor = Database(conf.database)
+            conf.database_cursor.connect("client")
+        except sqlite3.OperationalError, ex:
+            raise SqlmapConnectionException, "%s ('%s')" % (ex, conf.database)
 
         # Set a logging handler that writes log messages to a IPC database
         logger.removeHandler(LOGGER_HANDLER)