diff --git a/src/db/models/languages.rs b/src/db/models/languages.rs
index defd686..27fb11f 100644
--- a/src/db/models/languages.rs
+++ b/src/db/models/languages.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-use crate::{db::Database, graphql::Context};
+use crate::{
+    db::{Database, DatabaseError},
+    graphql::Context,
+};
 use diesel::prelude::*;
-use juniper::GraphQLEnum;
+use juniper::{FieldResult, GraphQLEnum};
 use tracing::info;
 
 use uuid::Uuid;
@@ -8,6 +11,8 @@ use uuid::Uuid;
 use super::super::schema;
 use super::users::User;
 
+use std::convert::Into;
+
 use schema::{langandagents, langtranslatesto, languages};
 
 #[derive(
@@ -65,14 +70,22 @@ impl Language {
         &self,
         db: &Database,
         relationship: AgentLanguageRelation,
-    ) -> Vec<User> {
+    ) -> Result<Vec<User>, DatabaseError> {
         use schema::langandagents::dsl;
         match &mut db.conn() {
-            Ok(conn) => dsl::langandagents
+            Ok(conn) => Ok(dsl::langandagents
                 .filter(dsl::language.eq(self.id))
                 .filter(dsl::relationship.eq(relationship))
                 .load::<LangAndAgent>(conn)
-                .unwrap()
+                .map_err(|e| {
+                    DatabaseError::new(
+                        format!(
+                            "Failed to retrieve language relationship: {:?}",
+                            e
+                        ),
+                        "Database reading error",
+                    )
+                })?
                 .iter()
                 .map(|v| {
                     use schema::users::dsl;
@@ -89,7 +102,7 @@ impl Language {
                         None
                     }
                 })
-                .collect::<Vec<User>>(),
+                .collect::<Vec<User>>()),
             Err(e) => {
                 panic!("Could not connect to the database: {:?}", e);
             }
@@ -125,23 +138,32 @@ impl Language {
         name = "targetLanguage",
         description = "Languages in which the current language is translated"
     )]
-    fn target_language(&self, context: &Context) -> Vec<Language> {
+    fn target_language(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<Language>> {
         use schema::langtranslatesto::dsl;
         match &mut context.db.conn() {
-            Ok(conn) => dsl::langtranslatesto
+            Ok(conn) => Ok(dsl::langtranslatesto
                 .filter(dsl::langfrom.eq(self.id))
                 .load::<LangTranslatesTo>(conn)
-                .unwrap()
+                .map_err(|e| {
+                    DatabaseError::new(
+                        format!(
+                            "Failed to retrieve language translations: {:?}",
+                            e
+                        ),
+                        "Database reading failure",
+                    )
+                })?
                 .into_iter()
                 .flat_map(|l| {
                     use schema::languages::dsl;
                     dsl::languages.find(l.langto).first::<Language>(conn)
                 })
-                .collect::<Vec<Language>>(),
-            Err(e) => {
-                info!("Failed to connect to the database: {:?}", e);
-                Vec::new()
-            }
+                .collect::<Vec<Language>>()),
+            Err(e) => Err(DatabaseError::new(
+                format!("Failed to connect to the database: {:?}", e),
+                "Database connection failure",
+            )
+            .into()),
         }
     }
 
@@ -187,34 +209,43 @@ impl Language {
     #[graphql(
         description = "User with administrative rights over the language"
     )]
-    fn owner(&self, context: &Context) -> User {
+    fn owner(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<User> {
         use schema::users::dsl;
         match &mut context.db.conn() {
-            Ok(conn) => dsl::users
+            Ok(conn) => Ok(dsl::users
                 .find(self.owner.clone())
                 .first::<User>(conn)
-                .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-                    panic!(
-                        "Failed to retrieve owner {} of language {}: {:?}",
-                        self.owner, self.name, e
+                .map_err(|e| {
+                    DatabaseError::new(
+                        format!(
+                            "Failed to retrieve owner {} of language {}: {:?}",
+                            self.owner, self.name, e
+                        ),
+                        "Database reading error",
                     )
-                }),
-            Err(e) => panic!("Failed to connect to the database: {:?}", e),
+                })?),
+            Err(e) => Err(DatabaseError::new(
+                format!("Failed to connect to the database: {:?}", e),
+                "Database connection failure",
+            )
+            .into()),
         }
     }
 
     #[graphql(
         description = "People who participate in the elaboration of the language's dictionary"
     )]
-    fn authors(&self, context: &Context) -> Vec<User> {
+    fn authors(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<User>> {
         self.relationship(&context.db, AgentLanguageRelation::Author)
+            .map_err(Into::into)
     }
 
     #[graphql(
         description = "People who can and do redistribute the language's dictionary"
     )]
-    fn publishers(&self, context: &Context) -> Vec<User> {
+    fn publishers(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<User>> {
         self.relationship(&context.db, AgentLanguageRelation::Publisher)
+            .map_err(Into::into)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/db/models/mod.rs b/src/db/models/mod.rs
index 44b7e11..5c67b82 100644
--- a/src/db/models/mod.rs
+++ b/src/db/models/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-pub mod users;
 pub mod languages;
+pub mod users;
 pub mod words;
diff --git a/src/db/models/users.rs b/src/db/models/users.rs
index 8a6e425..0d0c08a 100644
--- a/src/db/models/users.rs
+++ b/src/db/models/users.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 use super::super::schema::{userfollows, users};
 use diesel::prelude::*;
+use juniper::FieldResult;
+use tracing::debug;
 
-use crate::graphql::Context;
+use crate::{db::DatabaseError, graphql::Context};
 
 #[derive(Queryable, Insertable, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct User {
@@ -22,21 +24,45 @@ impl User {
     }
 
     #[graphql(description = "Who the user follows")]
-    pub fn following(&self, context: &Context) -> Vec<User> {
+    pub fn following(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<User>> {
         use super::super::schema::{userfollows, users};
-        let conn = &mut context.db.conn().unwrap();
-        userfollows::dsl::userfollows
+        let conn = &mut context.db.conn().map_err(|e| {
+            DatabaseError::new(
+                format!("Failed to connect to database: {:?}", e),
+                "Database connection error",
+            )
+        })?;
+        Ok(userfollows::dsl::userfollows
             .filter(userfollows::dsl::follower.eq(self.id.clone()))
             .load::<UserFollow>(conn)
-            .unwrap()
-            .iter()
-            .map(|f| {
-                users::dsl::users
-                    .find(f.following.clone())
-                    .first::<User>(conn)
-                    .unwrap()
-            })
-            .collect::<Vec<User>>()
+           .map_err(|e| {
+                DatabaseError::new(
+                    format!(
+                        "Failed to retrieve user follows from database: {:?}",
+                        e
+                    ),
+                    "Database reading error",
+                )
+            })?
+           .iter()
+           .filter_map(|f| {
+               match users::dsl::users
+                .find(f.following.clone())
+                .first::<User>(conn) {
+                    Ok(val) => Some(val),
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        let err = DatabaseError::new(
+                            format!("Failed to retrieve user {} from database: {:?}",
+                                    f.following.clone(),
+                                    e),
+                            "Database reading error");
+                        debug!("{}", err);
+                        None
+                    }
+                }
+
+           })
+           .collect::<Vec<User>>())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/graphql/context.rs b/src/graphql/context.rs
index 8882a0e..51b60e9 100644
--- a/src/graphql/context.rs
+++ b/src/graphql/context.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ pub struct OtherEnvVar {
 impl Default for OtherEnvVar {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
-            admin_key: from_env!("ADMIN_KEY")
+            admin_key: from_env!("ADMIN_KEY"),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pub struct Context {
     pub db: Database,
     pub appwrite: APVariables,
     pub user_auth: bool,
-    pub other_vars: OtherEnvVar
+    pub other_vars: OtherEnvVar,
 }
 
 impl Context {
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ impl Context {
         res.user_auth = self.user_auth(auth_token).await;
         res
     }
-
 }
 
 impl juniper::Context for Context {}