diff --git a/nodemon.json b/nodemon.json
index 896c8ba..7792f1e 100644
--- a/nodemon.json
+++ b/nodemon.json
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
   "watch": ["src/"],
   "ignore": ["test/", "node_modules/", ".git"],
   "ext": ".ts",
-  "exec": "node -r ts-node/register src/bot.ts"
+  "exec": "node -r ts-node/register -r dotenv/config src/bot.ts"
 }
diff --git a/src/bot.ts b/src/bot.ts
index 82849f9..3f07463 100644
--- a/src/bot.ts
+++ b/src/bot.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { displayError, envVar } from "opstooling-js";
 import { Probot, run } from "probot";
 
 import { getTipSize, parseContributorAccount, tipUser } from "./tip";
-import { State } from "./types";
+import { ContributorAccount, State } from "./types";
 
 const onIssueComment = async (
   state: State,
@@ -41,8 +41,19 @@ const onIssueComment = async (
     return `You are not allowed to request a tip. Only members of ${allowedGitHubOrg}/${allowedGitHubTeam} are allowed.`;
   }
 
-  const contributorAccount = parseContributorAccount(pullRequestBody);
-  const tipSize = getTipSize(tipSizeInput);
+  let contributorAccount: ContributorAccount;
+  try {
+    contributorAccount = parseContributorAccount(pullRequestBody);
+  } catch (error) {
+    return error.message;
+  }
+
+  let tipSize: string;
+  try {
+    tipSize = getTipSize(tipSizeInput);
+  } catch (error) {
+    return error.message;
+  }
 
   bot.log(
     `Valid command!\n${tipRequester} wants to tip ${contributorLogin} (${contributorAccount.address} on ${contributorAccount.network}) a ${tipSize} tip for pull request ${pullRequestUrl}.`,
diff --git a/src/tip.ts b/src/tip.ts
index 09e1dca..bc41ddd 100644
--- a/src/tip.ts
+++ b/src/tip.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export async function tipUser(
 
   const reason = `TO: ${contributor.githubUsername} FOR: ${pullRequestRepo}#${pullRequestNumber} (${tipSize})`;
   /* TODO before submitting, check tip does not already exist via a storage query.
-     TODO potentially prevent duplicates by also checking for reasons with the other sizes. */
+         TODO potentially prevent duplicates by also checking for reasons with the other sizes. */
   const unsub = await api.tx.tips
     .reportAwesome(reason, contributor.account.address)
     .signAndSend(botTipAccount, (result: SubmittableResult) => {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export async function tipUser(
         unsub();
       }
     });
-
+  await api.disconnect();
   return { success: true, tipUrl };
 }
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ async function getContributorMetadata(state: State, contributor: Contributor): P
   switch (contributor.account.network) {
     case "localtest": {
       return {
-        provider: new WsProvider("ws://localhost:9944"),
+        provider: new WsProvider("ws://127.0.0.1:9944"),
         botTipAccount: keyring.addFromUri("//Alice", { name: "Alice default" }),
         tipUrl: "https://polkadot.js.org/apps/?rpc=ws%3A%2F%2F127.0.0.1%3A9944#/treasury/tips",
       };