diff --git a/include/downloader.h b/include/downloader.h
index b60e48136..35d44f62c 100644
--- a/include/downloader.h
+++ b/include/downloader.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ class Downloader
 
   size_t getNbDownload() { return m_knownDownloads.size(); }
   std::vector<std::string> getDownloadIds();
+  const std::string &getAria2LaunchCmd();
 
  private:
   std::map<std::string, std::unique_ptr<Download>> m_knownDownloads;
diff --git a/src/aria2.cpp b/src/aria2.cpp
index 0cef601b7..07dfbdb03 100644
--- a/src/aria2.cpp
+++ b/src/aria2.cpp
@@ -78,18 +78,32 @@ Aria2::Aria2():
   callCmd.push_back("--max-concurrent-downloads=42");
   callCmd.push_back("--rpc-max-request-size=6M");
   callCmd.push_back("--file-allocation=none");
+  for (auto &cmd : callCmd) {
+      m_launchCmd.append(cmd).append(" ");
+  }
   mp_aria = Subprocess::run(callCmd);
   mp_curl = curl_easy_init();
+  char errbuf[CURL_ERROR_SIZE];
   curl_easy_setopt(mp_curl, CURLOPT_URL, "http://localhost/rpc");
   curl_easy_setopt(mp_curl, CURLOPT_PORT, m_port);
   curl_easy_setopt(mp_curl, CURLOPT_POST, 1L);
+  curl_easy_setopt(mp_curl, CURLOPT_ERRORBUFFER, errbuf);
 
   int watchdog = 50;
   while(--watchdog) {
     sleep(10);
+    errbuf[0] = 0;
     auto res = curl_easy_perform(mp_curl);
     if (res == CURLE_OK) {
       break;
+    } else if (watchdog == 1) {
+      std::cerr <<" curl_easy_perform() failed." << std::endl;
+      fprintf(stderr, "\nlibcurl: (%d) ", res);
+      if (errbuf[0] != 0) {
+        std::cerr << errbuf << std::endl;
+      } else {
+        std::cerr << curl_easy_strerror(res) << std::endl;
+      }
     }
   }
   if (!watchdog) {
diff --git a/src/aria2.h b/src/aria2.h
index 898904a5d..6d7262479 100644
--- a/src/aria2.h
+++ b/src/aria2.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class Aria2
     std::string m_downloadDir;
     CURL* mp_curl;
     pthread_mutex_t m_lock;
+    std::string m_launchCmd;
 
     std::string doRequest(const MethodCall& methodCall);
 
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ class Aria2
     void pause(const std::string& gid);
     void unpause(const std::string& gid);
     void remove(const std::string& gid);
+    const std::string &getLaunchCmd() { return m_launchCmd; };
 };
 
 }; //end namespace kiwix
diff --git a/src/downloader.cpp b/src/downloader.cpp
index fa54e2e17..580445343 100644
--- a/src/downloader.cpp
+++ b/src/downloader.cpp
@@ -127,17 +127,24 @@ void Download::cancelDownload()
 Downloader::Downloader() :
   mp_aria(new Aria2())
 {
-  for (auto gid : mp_aria->tellActive()) {
-    m_knownDownloads[gid] = std::unique_ptr<Download>(new Download(mp_aria, gid));
-    m_knownDownloads[gid]->updateStatus();
+  try {
+    for (auto gid : mp_aria->tellActive()) {
+      m_knownDownloads[gid] = std::unique_ptr<Download>(new Download(mp_aria, gid));
+      m_knownDownloads[gid]->updateStatus();
+    }
+  } catch (std::exception& e) {
+    std::cerr << "aria2 tellActive failed : " << e.what();
   }
-  for (auto gid : mp_aria->tellWaiting()) {
-    m_knownDownloads[gid] = std::unique_ptr<Download>(new Download(mp_aria, gid));
-    m_knownDownloads[gid]->updateStatus();
+  try {
+    for (auto gid : mp_aria->tellWaiting()) {
+      m_knownDownloads[gid] = std::unique_ptr<Download>(new Download(mp_aria, gid));
+      m_knownDownloads[gid]->updateStatus();
+    }
+  } catch (std::exception& e) {
+    std::cerr << "aria2 tellWaiting failed : " << e.what();
   }
 }
 
-
 /* Destructor */
 Downloader::~Downloader()
 {
@@ -156,6 +163,11 @@ std::vector<std::string> Downloader::getDownloadIds() {
   return ret;
 }
 
+const std::string &Downloader::getAria2LaunchCmd()
+{ 
+  return mp_aria->getLaunchCmd();
+}
+
 Download* Downloader::startDownload(const std::string& uri)
 {
   for (auto& p: m_knownDownloads) {