diff --git a/routes/register.go b/routes/register.go
index 7f042ce..25cc977 100644
--- a/routes/register.go
+++ b/routes/register.go
@@ -137,14 +137,17 @@ func ReadTestDataFromJson(path string) error {
 // AddTestData Uses API endpoints to add test data to the backend; All endpoints have to be registered before invoking this function.
 func AddTestData(cfg *config.Config, router *gin.Engine) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
 
-	adminPW, err := cfg.String("admin.pass")
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Println("WARNING: cannot add test data: ", err)
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	adminName, err := cfg.String("admin.user")
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Println("WARNING: cannot add test data: ", err)
+	adminPW, errPW := cfg.String("admin.pass")
+	adminName, errName := cfg.String("admin.user")
+	if errPW != nil || errName != nil {
+		if errName != nil {
+			log.Println("WARNING:", errName)
+		}
+		if errPW != nil {
+			log.Println("WARNING:", errPW)
+		}
+
+		log.Println("WARNING: cannot add test data because of missing admin config, continue without it")
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/start.go b/start.go
index 0e59ffb..42e8c4c 100644
--- a/start.go
+++ b/start.go
@@ -37,18 +37,19 @@ func addData(router *gin.Engine, cfg *config.Config) error {
 
 	testDataPath, err := cfg.String("test.datapath")
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		// if param is missing, no test data will be added
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	err = routes.ReadTestDataFromJson(testDataPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Println("testdata could not be read from json file")
-		return err
+		log.Println("WARNING: test data cannot not be read from file, continue without it: ", err)
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	resp, err := routes.AddTestData(cfg, router)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("error: testdata could not be added to DB:", err.Error(), "Response body: ", resp)
+		fmt.Println("ERROR: test data could not be added to DB:", err.Error(), "Response body: ", resp)
 		return err
 	}