diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index 8215ff59d..d5467a568 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -515,6 +515,11 @@ bool load_include_configs(const char *path, struct sway_config *config,
 bool read_config(FILE *file, struct sway_config *config,
 		struct swaynag_instance *swaynag);
 
+/**
+ * Run the commands that were deferred when reading the config file.
+ */
+void run_deferred_commands(void);
+
 /**
  * Adds a warning entry to the swaynag instance used for errors.
  */
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 145b3be6e..7cb27d955 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 #include "sway/config.h"
 #include "sway/criteria.h"
+#include "sway/desktop/transaction.h"
 #include "sway/swaynag.h"
 #include "sway/tree/arrange.h"
 #include "sway/tree/root.h"
@@ -343,6 +344,7 @@ static bool load_config(const char *path, struct sway_config *config,
 
 	struct stat sb;
 	if (stat(path, &sb) == 0 && S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode)) {
+		sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "%s is a directory not a config file", path);
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -573,6 +575,29 @@ bool load_include_configs(const char *path, struct sway_config *config,
 	return true;
 }
 
+void run_deferred_commands(void) {
+	if (!config->cmd_queue->length) {
+		return;
+	}
+	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Running deferred commands");
+	while (config->cmd_queue->length) {
+		char *line = config->cmd_queue->items[0];
+		list_t *res_list = execute_command(line, NULL, NULL);
+		for (int i = 0; i < res_list->length; ++i) {
+			struct cmd_results *res = res_list->items[i];
+			if (res->status != CMD_SUCCESS) {
+				sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Error on line '%s': %s",
+						line, res->error);
+			}
+			free_cmd_results(res);
+		}
+		list_del(config->cmd_queue, 0);
+		list_free(res_list);
+		free(line);
+	}
+	transaction_commit_dirty();
+}
+
 // get line, with backslash continuation
 static ssize_t getline_with_cont(char **lineptr, size_t *line_size, FILE *file,
 		int *nlines) {
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index c824a6fbd..a3198af10 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 #include "sway/config.h"
 #include "sway/debug.h"
-#include "sway/desktop/transaction.h"
 #include "sway/server.h"
 #include "sway/swaynag.h"
 #include "sway/tree/root.h"
@@ -370,55 +369,33 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	setenv("WAYLAND_DISPLAY", server.socket, true);
 	if (!load_main_config(config_path, false, false)) {
 		sway_terminate(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		goto shutdown;
 	}
 
-	if (config_path) {
-		free(config_path);
-	}
-
-	if (!terminate_request) {
-		if (!server_start(&server)) {
-			sway_terminate(EXIT_FAILURE);
-		}
+	if (!server_start(&server)) {
+		sway_terminate(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		goto shutdown;
 	}
 
 	config->active = true;
 	load_swaybars();
-	// Execute commands until there are none left
-	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Running deferred commands");
-	while (config->cmd_queue->length) {
-		char *line = config->cmd_queue->items[0];
-		list_t *res_list = execute_command(line, NULL, NULL);
-		for (int i = 0; i < res_list->length; ++i) {
-			struct cmd_results *res = res_list->items[i];
-			if (res->status != CMD_SUCCESS) {
-				sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Error on line '%s': %s", line, res->error);
-			}
-			free_cmd_results(res);
-		}
-		list_free(res_list);
-		free(line);
-		list_del(config->cmd_queue, 0);
-	}
-	transaction_commit_dirty();
+	run_deferred_commands();
 
 	if (config->swaynag_config_errors.pid > 0) {
 		swaynag_show(&config->swaynag_config_errors);
 	}
 
-	if (!terminate_request) {
-		server_run(&server);
-	}
+	server_run(&server);
 
+shutdown:
 	sway_log(SWAY_INFO, "Shutting down sway");
 
 	server_fini(&server);
 	root_destroy(root);
 	root = NULL;
 
-	if (config) {
-		free_config(config);
-	}
+	free(config_path);
+	free_config(config);
 
 	pango_cairo_font_map_set_default(NULL);