diff --git a/src/db/mod.rs b/src/db/mod.rs
index 490af96..2c01450 100644
--- a/src/db/mod.rs
+++ b/src/db/mod.rs
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ use tracing::info;
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct DatabaseError {
     long: String,
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
     short: String,
 }
 
 impl DatabaseError {
+    #[allow(clippy::needless_pass_by_value)]
     pub fn new<S, T>(long: S, short: T) -> Self
     where
         T: ToString,
diff --git a/src/db/models/words.rs b/src/db/models/words.rs
index 7db77b4..114a028 100644
--- a/src/db/models/words.rs
+++ b/src/db/models/words.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 use super::super::schema;
-use crate::{db::Database, graphql::Context};
+use crate::{
+    db::{Database, DatabaseError},
+    graphql::Context,
+};
 use diesel::prelude::*;
-use juniper::GraphQLEnum;
+use juniper::{FieldResult, GraphQLEnum};
 use schema::{wordrelation, words};
 use tracing::info;
 
+use std::convert::Into;
+
 use super::languages::Language;
 
 #[derive(diesel_derive_enum::DbEnum, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -62,24 +67,29 @@ impl Word {
         &self,
         db: &Database,
         relationship: WordRelationship,
-    ) -> Vec<Word> {
+    ) -> Result<Vec<Word>, DatabaseError> {
         use schema::wordrelation::dsl;
         match &mut db.conn() {
-            Ok(conn) => dsl::wordrelation
+            Ok(conn) => Ok(dsl::wordrelation
                 .filter(dsl::wordsource.eq(self.norm.clone()))
                 .filter(dsl::relationship.eq(relationship))
                 .load::<WordRelation>(conn)
-                .unwrap()
+                .map_err(|e| {
+                    DatabaseError::new(
+                        format!("Failed to retrieve word relations: {:?}", e),
+                        "Database reading failed",
+                    )
+                })?
                 .into_iter()
                 .flat_map(|w| {
                     use schema::words::dsl;
                     dsl::words.find(w.wordtarget).first::<Word>(conn)
                 })
-                .collect::<Vec<Word>>(),
-            Err(e) => {
-                info!("Could not connect to database: {:?}", e);
-                Vec::new()
-            }
+                .collect::<Vec<Word>>()),
+            Err(e) => Err(DatabaseError::new(
+                format!("Failed to connect to the database: {:?}", e),
+                "Database connection error",
+            )),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -185,16 +195,18 @@ impl Word {
         name = "related",
         description = "Words related to the current word"
     )]
-    fn related_words(&self, context: &Context) -> Vec<Word> {
+    fn related_words(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<Word>> {
         self.relationship(&context.db, WordRelationship::Related)
+            .map_err(Into::into)
     }
 
     #[graphql(
         name = "definitions",
         description = "Words that define the current word"
     )]
-    fn definitions(&self, context: &Context) -> Vec<Word> {
+    fn definitions(&self, context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<Word>> {
         self.relationship(&context.db, WordRelationship::Definition)
+            .map_err(Into::into)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/graphql/query.rs b/src/graphql/query.rs
index f5bf48e..3ef31fc 100644
--- a/src/graphql/query.rs
+++ b/src/graphql/query.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 use juniper::FieldResult;
 
 use super::Context;
-use crate::db::{models::{languages::Language, users::User, words::Word}, DatabaseError};
+use crate::db::{
+    models::{languages::Language, users::User, words::Word},
+    DatabaseError,
+};
 
 use std::str::FromStr;
 
@@ -16,15 +19,19 @@ impl Query {
         name = "allLanguages",
         description = "Retrieve all languages defined in the database"
     )]
-    fn all_languages(context: &Context) -> Vec<Language> {
-        context.db.all_languages().unwrap()
+    fn all_languages(context: &Context) -> FieldResult<Vec<Language>> {
+        context.db.all_languages().map_err(Into::into)
     }
 
-    fn all_users(context: &Context, admin_key: String) -> FieldResult<Vec<User>> {
+    fn all_users(
+        context: &Context,
+        admin_key: String,
+    ) -> FieldResult<Vec<User>> {
         if admin_key == context.other_vars.admin_key {
             context.db.all_users().map_err(Into::into)
         } else {
-            Err(DatabaseError::new("Invalid admin key", "Invalid admin key").into())
+            Err(DatabaseError::new("Invalid admin key", "Invalid admin key")
+                .into())
         }
     }
 
@@ -69,9 +76,21 @@ impl Query {
             word(description = "Word to search")
         )
     )]
-    fn words(context: &Context, language: String, word: String) -> Vec<Word> {
-        context
-            .db
-            .words(uuid::Uuid::from_str(&language).unwrap(), word.as_str())
+    fn words(
+        context: &Context,
+        language: String,
+        word: String,
+    ) -> FieldResult<Vec<Word>> {
+        match uuid::Uuid::from_str(&language) {
+            Ok(uuid) => Ok(context.db.words(uuid, word.as_str())),
+            Err(e) => Err(DatabaseError::new(
+                format!(
+                    "Failed to convert {} to a proper UUID: {:?}",
+                    language, e
+                ),
+                "Conversion Error",
+            )
+            .into()),
+        }
     }
 }