diff --git a/packages/db-d1-sqlite/src/connect.ts b/packages/db-d1-sqlite/src/connect.ts
index 753b075a97c..4fbe9f9f0f7 100644
--- a/packages/db-d1-sqlite/src/connect.ts
+++ b/packages/db-d1-sqlite/src/connect.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export const connect: Connect = async function connect(
       this.rejectInitializing()
     }
     console.error(err)
-    process.exit(1)
+    throw new Error(`Error: cannot connect to SQLite: ${message}`)
   }
 
   // Only push schema if not in production
diff --git a/packages/db-mongodb/src/connect.ts b/packages/db-mongodb/src/connect.ts
index e9b02a6bff9..25d15cf4610 100644
--- a/packages/db-mongodb/src/connect.ts
+++ b/packages/db-mongodb/src/connect.ts
@@ -108,6 +108,6 @@ export const connect: Connect = async function connect(
       err,
       msg,
     })
-    process.exit(1)
+    throw new Error(`Error: cannot connect to MongoDB: ${msg}`)
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-postgres/src/connect.ts b/packages/db-postgres/src/connect.ts
index 49236862492..3a16d3045e4 100644
--- a/packages/db-postgres/src/connect.ts
+++ b/packages/db-postgres/src/connect.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export const connect: Connect = async function connect(
     if (typeof this.rejectInitializing === 'function') {
       this.rejectInitializing()
     }
-    process.exit(1)
+    throw new Error(`Error: cannot connect to Postgres: ${err.message}`)
   }
 
   await this.createExtensions()
diff --git a/packages/db-sqlite/src/connect.ts b/packages/db-sqlite/src/connect.ts
index e56e16dfc75..aa439d8e316 100644
--- a/packages/db-sqlite/src/connect.ts
+++ b/packages/db-sqlite/src/connect.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const connect: Connect = async function connect(
     if (typeof this.rejectInitializing === 'function') {
       this.rejectInitializing()
     }
-    process.exit(1)
+    throw new Error(`Error: cannot connect to SQLite: ${message}`)
   }
 
   // Only push schema if not in production
diff --git a/packages/db-vercel-postgres/src/connect.ts b/packages/db-vercel-postgres/src/connect.ts
index d74f00c265b..42ef76fa867 100644
--- a/packages/db-vercel-postgres/src/connect.ts
+++ b/packages/db-vercel-postgres/src/connect.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export const connect: Connect = async function connect(
     if (typeof this.rejectInitializing === 'function') {
       this.rejectInitializing()
     }
-    process.exit(1)
+    throw new Error(`Error: cannot connect to Postgres: ${err.message}`)
   }
 
   await this.createExtensions()
diff --git a/packages/drizzle/src/transactions/beginTransaction.ts b/packages/drizzle/src/transactions/beginTransaction.ts
index 8a0ad8deeb6..7aa8b0a4ccd 100644
--- a/packages/drizzle/src/transactions/beginTransaction.ts
+++ b/packages/drizzle/src/transactions/beginTransaction.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export const beginTransaction: BeginTransaction = async function beginTransactio
     }
   } catch (err) {
     this.payload.logger.error({ err, msg: `Error: cannot begin transaction: ${err.message}` })
-    process.exit(1)
+    throw new Error(`Error: cannot begin transaction: ${err.message}`)
   }
 
   return id
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/index.ts b/packages/payload/src/index.ts
index 840efd11a5b..39d82b8a1e8 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/index.ts
@@ -1127,12 +1127,12 @@ export const getPayload = async (
     return cached.payload
   }
 
-  if (!cached.promise) {
-    // no need to await options.config here, as it's already awaited in the BasePayload.init
-    cached.promise = new BasePayload().init(options)
-  }
-
   try {
+    if (!cached.promise) {
+      // no need to await options.config here, as it's already awaited in the BasePayload.init
+      cached.promise = new BasePayload().init(options)
+    }
+
     cached.payload = await cached.promise
 
     if (