diff --git a/src/villas-pipe.cpp b/src/villas-pipe.cpp
index a4bfd6f7e..85d4dfe3a 100644
--- a/src/villas-pipe.cpp
+++ b/src/villas-pipe.cpp
@@ -323,6 +323,10 @@ check:		if (optarg == endptr)
 	char *nodestr = argv[optind+1];
 	struct format_type *fmt;
 
+	ret = memory_init(0);
+	if (ret)
+		throw RuntimeError("Failed to intialize memory");
+
 	ret = utils::signals_init(quit);
 	if (ret)
 		throw RuntimeError("Failed to initialize signals");
diff --git a/src/villas-signal.cpp b/src/villas-signal.cpp
index 59b059a53..4837f166d 100644
--- a/src/villas-signal.cpp
+++ b/src/villas-signal.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!ft)
 		throw RuntimeError("Invalid output format '{}'", format);
 
-	memory_init(0); // Otherwise, ht->size in hash_table_hash() will be zero
+	ret = memory_init(0);
+	if (ret)
+		throw RuntimeError("Failed to initialize memory");
 
 	nt = node_type_lookup("signal");
 	if (!nt)