diff --git a/charger/simpleevse.go b/charger/simpleevse.go
index d18c216a4..f5ac72abe 100644
--- a/charger/simpleevse.go
+++ b/charger/simpleevse.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func NewSimpleEVSE(conn, device string) (api.Charger, error) {
 
 	var handler modbus.ClientHandler
 	if conn != "" && device != "" {
-		log.FATAL.Fatal("cannot define uri and device both")
+		return nil, errors.New("cannot define uri and device both")
 	}
 	if conn != "" {
 		handler = modbus.NewTCPClientHandler(conn)
diff --git a/provider/http.go b/provider/http.go
index a59383dd5..c24a180bd 100644
--- a/provider/http.go
+++ b/provider/http.go
@@ -31,13 +31,14 @@ type Auth struct {
 }
 
 // NewAuth creates authorization headers from config
-func NewAuth(log *util.Logger, auth Auth, headers map[string]string) {
+func NewAuth(log *util.Logger, auth Auth, headers map[string]string) error {
 	if strings.ToLower(auth.Type) != "basic" {
-		log.FATAL.Fatalf("unsupported auth type: %s", auth.Type)
+		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported auth type: %s", auth.Type)
 	}
 
 	basicAuth := auth.User + ":" + auth.Password
 	headers["Authorization"] = "Basic " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(basicAuth))
+	return nil
 }
 
 // NewHTTPProviderFromConfig creates a HTTP provider
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ func NewHTTPProviderFromConfig(other map[string]interface{}) (*HTTP, error) {
 		Scale       float64
 		Insecure    bool
 		Auth        Auth
-	}{}
+	}{Headers: make(map[string]string)}
 
 	if err := util.DecodeOther(other, &cc); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -69,10 +70,9 @@ func NewHTTPProviderFromConfig(other map[string]interface{}) (*HTTP, error) {
 
 	// handle basic auth
 	if cc.Auth.Type != "" {
-		if p.headers == nil {
-			p.headers = make(map[string]string)
+		if err := NewAuth(log, cc.Auth, p.headers); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
-		NewAuth(log, cc.Auth, p.headers)
 	}
 
 	// ignore the self signed certificate
diff --git a/provider/socket.go b/provider/socket.go
index 33a4aecdc..3904b5975 100644
--- a/provider/socket.go
+++ b/provider/socket.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func NewSocketProviderFromConfig(other map[string]interface{}) (*Socket, error)
 		Insecure bool
 		Auth     Auth
 		Timeout  time.Duration
-	}{}
+	}{Headers: make(map[string]string)}
 	if err := util.DecodeOther(other, &cc); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -54,10 +54,9 @@ func NewSocketProviderFromConfig(other map[string]interface{}) (*Socket, error)
 
 	// handle basic auth
 	if cc.Auth.Type != "" {
-		if p.headers == nil {
-			p.headers = make(map[string]string)
+		if err := NewAuth(log, cc.Auth, p.headers); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
 		}
-		NewAuth(log, cc.Auth, p.headers)
 	}
 
 	// ignore the self signed certificate
diff --git a/util/test/errors.go b/util/test/errors.go
index fb08dae46..a88224496 100644
--- a/util/test/errors.go
+++ b/util/test/errors.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const config = "../errors.yaml"
 
 var acceptable map[string][]string
 
-// Acceptable returns true is a test error is configured as acceptable
+// Acceptable checks if a test error is configured as acceptable
 func Acceptable(class string, err error) bool {
 	if len(acceptable) == 0 {
 		definitions, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config)