diff --git a/radicle-node/src/control.rs b/radicle-node/src/control.rs
index 0c5b09b5..819509ce 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/control.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/control.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use std::io::BufReader;
 use std::io::LineWriter;
 use std::os::unix::net::UnixListener;
 use std::os::unix::net::UnixStream;
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::{fs, io, net};
 
 use crate::client;
@@ -17,12 +17,22 @@ use crate::service::FetchResult;
 pub enum Error {
     #[error("failed to bind control socket listener: {0}")]
     Bind(io::Error),
+    #[error("invalid socket path specified: {0}")]
+    InvalidPath(PathBuf),
 }
 
 /// Listen for commands on the control socket, and process them.
 pub fn listen<P: AsRef<Path>, H: Handle>(path: P, handle: H) -> Result<(), Error> {
     // Remove the socket file on startup before rebinding.
     fs::remove_file(&path).ok();
+    fs::create_dir_all(
+        path.as_ref()
+            .parent()
+            .ok_or_else(|| Error::InvalidPath(path.as_ref().to_path_buf()))?,
+    )
+    .ok();
+
+    log::info!("Binding control socket {}..", path.as_ref().display());
 
     let listener = UnixListener::bind(path).map_err(Error::Bind)?;
     for incoming in listener.incoming() {
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/main.rs b/radicle-node/src/main.rs
index e1bac11d..838941e0 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/main.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 use std::thread;
-use std::{env, net, process};
+use std::{net, process};
 
-use radicle_node::node;
+use anyhow::Context as _;
+
+use radicle_node::logger;
 use radicle_node::prelude::Address;
 use radicle_node::{client, control, git, service};
 
@@ -53,9 +55,12 @@ impl Options {
 }
 
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    logger::init(log::Level::Debug)?;
+
     let options = Options::from_env()?;
-    let profile = radicle::Profile::load()?;
-    let client = client::Client::<Reactor>::new(profile)?;
+    let profile = radicle::Profile::load().context("Failed to load node profile")?;
+    let socket = profile.socket();
+    let client = client::Client::<Reactor>::new(profile).context("Failed to initialize client")?;
     let handle = client.handle();
     let config = client::Config {
         service: service::Config {
@@ -65,7 +70,6 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         },
         listen: options.listen,
     };
-    let socket = env::var("RAD_SOCKET").unwrap_or_else(|_| node::DEFAULT_SOCKET_NAME.to_owned());
 
     let t1 = thread::spawn(move || control::listen(socket, handle));
     let t2 = thread::spawn(move || client.run(config));
diff --git a/radicle/src/profile.rs b/radicle/src/profile.rs
index 24944984..55d2f154 100644
--- a/radicle/src/profile.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/profile.rs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ impl Profile {
     }
 
     /// Get the path to the radicle node socket.
-    fn socket(&self) -> PathBuf {
+    pub fn socket(&self) -> PathBuf {
         env::var_os("RAD_SOCKET")
             .map(PathBuf::from)
             .unwrap_or_else(|| self.home.join("node").join(node::DEFAULT_SOCKET_NAME))