diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index de4e3bf0..704a4423 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -318,9 +318,9 @@ $ sudo systemctl status station
 
 ## API
 
-### `new Core({ cacheRoot?: String, stateRoot?: String }?)`
+### `Core.create({ cacheRoot?: String, stateRoot?: String }?)`
 
-Creates a new instance of `Core`.
+Returns `Promise<Core>`.
 
 ### `Core#logs.get(module?: String)`
 
diff --git a/bin/station.js b/bin/station.js
index d1a37660..68021f85 100755
--- a/bin/station.js
+++ b/bin/station.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import * as commands from '../commands/index.js'
 import fs from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
-import { repoRoot, getDefaultRootDirs } from '../lib/paths.js'
+import { repoRoot } from '../lib/paths.js'
 import * as Sentry from '@sentry/node'
 import yargs from 'yargs/yargs'
 import { hideBin } from 'yargs/helpers'
@@ -19,24 +19,7 @@ Sentry.init({
   ignoreErrors: [/EACCES/, /EPERM/, /ENOSPC/, /EPIPE/]
 })
 
-const core = new Core(getDefaultRootDirs())
-const modules = [
-  'zinnia',
-  'saturn-L2-node',
-  'bacalhau'
-]
-
-await fs.mkdir(core.paths.moduleLogs, { recursive: true })
-await fs.mkdir(core.paths.metrics, { recursive: true })
-await core.activity.maybeCreateActivityFile()
-await core.metrics.maybeCreateMetricsFile()
-await core.logs.maybeCreateLogFile()
-for (const module of modules) {
-  await fs.mkdir(join(core.paths.moduleCache, module), { recursive: true })
-  await fs.mkdir(join(core.paths.moduleState, module), { recursive: true })
-  await core.metrics.maybeCreateMetricsFile(module)
-  await core.logs.maybeCreateLogFile(module)
-}
+const core = await Core.create()
 
 yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
   .usage('Usage: $0 <command> [options]')
@@ -77,7 +60,7 @@ yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
     () => {},
     args => commands.logs({ ...args, core })
   )
-  .choices('module', modules)
+  .choices('module', core.modules)
   .version(`${pkg.name}: ${pkg.version}`)
   .alias('v', 'version')
   .alias('h', 'help')
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 15bcb15f..3eb1fb0d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -2,17 +2,21 @@ import { Activity } from './lib/activity.js'
 import { Logs } from './lib/log.js'
 import { Metrics } from './lib/metrics.js'
 import { getPaths, getDefaultRootDirs } from './lib/paths.js'
+import fs from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
 
 export { ActivityEvent } from './lib/activity.js'
 export { MetricsEvent } from './lib/metrics.js'
 
 export class Core {
-  /**
-   * @param {Object} [options]
-   * @param {String} [options.cacheRoot]
-   * @param {String} [options.stateRoot]
-   */
-  constructor ({ cacheRoot, stateRoot } = getDefaultRootDirs()) {
+  modules = [
+    'zinnia',
+    'saturn-L2-node',
+    'bacalhau'
+  ]
+
+  /** @private */
+  constructor ({ cacheRoot, stateRoot }) {
     this.paths = getPaths({ cacheRoot, stateRoot })
     this.logs = new Logs(this.paths.moduleLogs, this.paths.allLogs)
     this.activity = new Activity(this.paths.activity, this.logs)
@@ -22,4 +26,30 @@ export class Core {
       this.logs
     )
   }
+
+  async #setup () {
+    await fs.mkdir(this.paths.moduleLogs, { recursive: true })
+    await fs.mkdir(this.paths.metrics, { recursive: true })
+    await this.activity.maybeCreateActivityFile()
+    await this.metrics.maybeCreateMetricsFile()
+    await this.logs.maybeCreateLogFile()
+    for (const module of this.modules) {
+      await fs.mkdir(join(this.paths.moduleCache, module), { recursive: true })
+      await fs.mkdir(join(this.paths.moduleState, module), { recursive: true })
+      await this.metrics.maybeCreateMetricsFile(module)
+      await this.logs.maybeCreateLogFile(module)
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @param {Object} [options]
+   * @param {String} [options.cacheRoot]
+   * @param {String} [options.stateRoot]
+   * @returns {Promise<Core>}
+   */
+  static async create ({ cacheRoot, stateRoot } = getDefaultRootDirs()) {
+    const core = new Core({ cacheRoot, stateRoot })
+    await core.#setup()
+    return core
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/api.js b/test/api.js
index cec14b8f..cbeef1c4 100644
--- a/test/api.js
+++ b/test/api.js
@@ -3,34 +3,36 @@ import assert from 'node:assert'
 import { getDefaultRootDirs } from '../lib/paths.js'
 
 describe('API', () => {
-  describe('Core()', () => {
+  describe('Core', () => {
     it('can be imported', () => {
       assert(Core)
     })
-    it('can be constructed', () => {
-      assert(new Core())
+  })
+  describe('Core.create', () => {
+    it('can be constructed', async () => {
+      assert(await Core.create())
     })
-    it('can be constructed with custom paths', () => {
-      assert(new Core(getDefaultRootDirs()))
+    it('can be constructed with custom paths', async () => {
+      assert(await Core.create(getDefaultRootDirs()))
     })
   })
   describe('core.logs', () => {
-    it('exports methods', () => {
-      const core = new Core()
+    it('exports methods', async () => {
+      const core = await Core.create()
       assert(core.logs.get)
       assert(core.logs.follow)
     })
   })
   describe('core.activity', () => {
-    it('exports methods', () => {
-      const core = new Core()
+    it('exports methods', async () => {
+      const core = await Core.create()
       assert(core.activity.get)
       assert(core.activity.follow)
     })
   })
   describe('core.metrics', () => {
-    it('exports methods', () => {
-      const core = new Core()
+    it('exports methods', async () => {
+      const core = await Core.create()
       assert(core.metrics.getLatest)
       assert(core.metrics.follow)
     })