diff --git a/home/dns.go b/home/dns.go
index c00ddf51..49b5d0a7 100644
--- a/home/dns.go
+++ b/home/dns.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/dnsfilter"
@@ -34,9 +35,9 @@ func initDNSServer(baseDir string) {
 		log.Fatalf("Cannot create DNS data dir at %s: %s", baseDir, err)
 	}
 
-	config.stats = stats.New("./data/stats.db", int(config.DNS.StatsInterval), nil)
-	if config.stats == nil {
-		log.Fatal("config.stats == nil")
+	config.stats, err = stats.New(filepath.Join(baseDir, "stats.db"), int(config.DNS.StatsInterval), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal("Couldn't initialize statistics module")
 	}
 	config.dnsServer = dnsforward.NewServer(baseDir, config.stats)
 
diff --git a/stats/stats.go b/stats/stats.go
index 2542b16d..d33ee42d 100644
--- a/stats/stats.go
+++ b/stats/stats.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ type unitIDCallback func() int
 // filename: DB file name
 // limit: time limit (in days)
 // unitID: user function to get the current unit ID.  If nil, the current time hour is used.
-func New(filename string, limit int, unitID unitIDCallback) Stats {
+func New(filename string, limit int, unitID unitIDCallback) (Stats, error) {
 	return createObject(filename, limit, unitID)
 }
 
diff --git a/stats/stats_test.go b/stats/stats_test.go
index 45b06520..d2e14189 100644
--- a/stats/stats_test.go
+++ b/stats/stats_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func UIntArrayEquals(a []uint, b []uint) bool {
 }
 
 func TestStats(t *testing.T) {
-	s := New("./stats.db", 1, nil)
+	s, _ := New("./stats.db", 1, nil)
 
 	e := Entry{}
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func TestLargeNumbers(t *testing.T) {
 	// log.SetLevel(log.DEBUG)
 	fn := "./stats.db"
 	os.Remove(fn)
-	s := New(fn, 1, newID)
+	s, _ := New(fn, 1, newID)
 	e := Entry{}
 
 	n := 1000 // number of distinct clients and domains every hour
diff --git a/stats/stats_unit.go b/stats/stats_unit.go
index 1cc69324..faa30fdb 100644
--- a/stats/stats_unit.go
+++ b/stats/stats_unit.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ type unitDB struct {
 	TimeAvg uint // usec
 }
 
-func createObject(filename string, limitDays int, unitID unitIDCallback) *statsCtx {
+func createObject(filename string, limitDays int, unitID unitIDCallback) (*statsCtx, error) {
 	s := statsCtx{}
 	s.limit = limitDays * 24
 	s.filename = filename
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func createObject(filename string, limitDays int, unitID unitIDCallback) *statsC
 	}
 
 	if !s.dbOpen() {
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("open database")
 	}
 
 	id := s.unitID()
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func createObject(filename string, limitDays int, unitID unitIDCallback) *statsC
 	go s.periodicFlush()
 
 	log.Debug("Stats: initialized")
-	return &s
+	return &s, nil
 }
 
 func (s *statsCtx) dbOpen() bool {