diff --git a/backends/skype/main.cpp b/backends/skype/main.cpp
index aa237178..1ccd81e4 100644
--- a/backends/skype/main.cpp
+++ b/backends/skype/main.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ bool Skype::createDBusProxy() {
 			LOG4CXX_INFO(logger,  m_username << ":" << error->message);
 
 			if (m_counter == 15) {
-				LOG4CXX_ERROR(logger, "Logging out, proxy couldn't be created");
+				LOG4CXX_ERROR(logger, "Logging out, proxy couldn't be created: " << error->message);
 				np->handleDisconnected(m_user, pbnetwork::CONNECTION_ERROR_AUTHENTICATION_IMPOSSIBLE, error->message);
 				logout();
 				g_error_free(error);
@@ -444,7 +444,8 @@ void Skype::login() {
 	gchar* argv[6] = {"skype", "--disable-cleanlooks", "--pipelogin", "--dbpath", db, 0};
 
 	int fd;
-	g_spawn_async_with_pipes(NULL,
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	bool spawned = g_spawn_async_with_pipes(NULL,
 		argv,
 		NULL /*envp*/,
 		G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH,
@@ -454,9 +455,16 @@ void Skype::login() {
 		&fd,
 		NULL,
 		&fd_output,
-		NULL /*error*/);
+		&error);
+
+	if (!spawned) {
+		LOG4CXX_ERROR(logger, "Error spawning the Skype instance: " << error->message)
+		np->handleDisconnected(m_user, pbnetwork::CONNECTION_ERROR_AUTHENTICATION_IMPOSSIBLE, "Error spawning the Skype instance.");
+		return;
+	}
+
 	std::string login_data = std::string(m_username + " " + m_password + "\n");
-	LOG4CXX_INFO(logger,  m_username << ": Login data=" << login_data);
+	LOG4CXX_INFO(logger,  m_username << ": Login data=" << m_username);
 	write(fd, login_data.c_str(), login_data.size());
 	close(fd);
 
@@ -469,12 +477,12 @@ void Skype::login() {
 
 	if (m_connection == NULL)
 	{
-		LOG4CXX_INFO(logger, "Creating DBus connection.");
+		LOG4CXX_INFO(logger, "Creating DBUS connection.");
 		GError *error = NULL;
 		m_connection = dbus_g_bus_get (DBUS_BUS_SESSION, &error);
 		if (m_connection == NULL && error != NULL)
 		{
-			LOG4CXX_INFO(logger,  m_username << ": DBUS Error: " << error->message);
+			LOG4CXX_INFO(logger,  m_username << ": Creating DBUS Connection error: " << error->message);
 			g_error_free(error);
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/src/networkpluginserver.cpp b/src/networkpluginserver.cpp
index 90d66759..fdd68e68 100644
--- a/src/networkpluginserver.cpp
+++ b/src/networkpluginserver.cpp
@@ -163,9 +163,14 @@ static unsigned long exec_(std::string path, const char *host, const char *port,
 	if ( pid == 0 ) {
 		setsid();
 		// child process
-		exit(execv(argv[0], argv));
+		errno = 0;
+		int ret = execv(argv[0], argv);
+		if (ret == -1) {
+			exit(errno);
+		}
+		exit(0);
 	} else if ( pid < 0 ) {
-		// fork failed
+		LOG4CXX_ERROR(logger, "Fork failed");
 	}
 	free(p);
 
@@ -258,12 +263,29 @@ NetworkPluginServer::NetworkPluginServer(Component *component, Config *config, U
 
 	LOG4CXX_INFO(logger, "Listening on host " << CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend_host") << " port " << CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend_port"));
 
+	unsigned long pid = exec_(CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend"), CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend_host").c_str(), CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend_port").c_str(), m_config->getConfigFile().c_str());
+	LOG4CXX_INFO(logger, "Backend should now connect to Spectrum2 instance. Spectrum2 won't accept any connection before backend connects");
+
 #ifndef _WIN32
+	// wait if the backend process will still be alive after 1 second
+	sleep(1);
+	pid_t result;
+	int status;
+	result = waitpid(-1, &status, WNOHANG);
+	if (result != 0) {
+		if (WIFEXITED(status)) {
+			if (WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0) {
+				LOG4CXX_ERROR(logger, "Backend can not be started, exit_code=" << WEXITSTATUS(status) << ", possible error: " << strerror(WEXITSTATUS(status)));
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			LOG4CXX_ERROR(logger, "Backend can not be started");
+		}
+	}
+
 	signal(SIGCHLD, SigCatcher);
 #endif
 
-	exec_(CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend"), CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend_host").c_str(), CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.backend_port").c_str(), m_config->getConfigFile().c_str());
-	LOG4CXX_INFO(logger, "Backend should now connect to Spectrum2 instance. Spectrum2 won't accept any connection before backend connects");
 }
 
 NetworkPluginServer::~NetworkPluginServer() {