diff --git a/main/asterisk.c b/main/asterisk.c
index 2b70a99b0c..137ee93158 100644
--- a/main/asterisk.c
+++ b/main/asterisk.c
@@ -4353,7 +4353,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	register_config_cli();
 	read_config_maps();
 
-	astobj2_init();
+	if (astobj2_init()) {
+		printf("Failed: astobj2_init\n%s", term_quit());
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	if (ast_opt_console) {
 		if (el_hist == NULL || el == NULL)
diff --git a/main/astobj2.c b/main/astobj2.c
index f1d5001748..1bb5237f1b 100644
--- a/main/astobj2.c
+++ b/main/astobj2.c
@@ -899,13 +899,7 @@ int astobj2_init(void)
 {
 #ifdef REF_DEBUG
 	char ref_filename[1024];
-#endif
-
-	if (container_init() != 0) {
-		return -1;
-	}
 
-#ifdef REF_DEBUG
 	snprintf(ref_filename, sizeof(ref_filename), "%s/refs", ast_config_AST_LOG_DIR);
 	ref_log = fopen(ref_filename, "w");
 	if (!ref_log) {
@@ -913,6 +907,11 @@ int astobj2_init(void)
 	}
 #endif
 
+	if (container_init() != 0) {
+		fclose(ref_log);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 #if defined(AO2_DEBUG)
 	ast_cli_register_multiple(cli_astobj2, ARRAY_LEN(cli_astobj2));
 #endif	/* defined(AO2_DEBUG) */