diff --git a/howdy/src/pam/main.cc b/howdy/src/pam/main.cc
index 68501b4..3662b62 100644
--- a/howdy/src/pam/main.cc
+++ b/howdy/src/pam/main.cc
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ auto howdy_error(int status,
       conv_function(PAM_ERROR_MSG, S("Face detection image too dark"));
       syslog(LOG_ERR, "Failure, image too dark");
       break;
+    case CompareError::INVALID_DEVICE:
+      syslog(LOG_ERR, "Failure, not possible to open camera at configured path");
+      break;
     default:
       conv_function(PAM_ERROR_MSG,
                     std::string(S("Unknown error: ") + status).c_str());
diff --git a/howdy/src/pam/main.hh b/howdy/src/pam/main.hh
index 5b5dcf8..12f687d 100644
--- a/howdy/src/pam/main.hh
+++ b/howdy/src/pam/main.hh
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ enum CompareError : int {
   TIMEOUT_REACHED = 11,
   ABORT = 12,
   TOO_DARK = 13,
-  TIMEOUT_ACTIVE = 2816,
+  INVALID_DEVICE = 14,
+  TIMEOUT_ACTIVE = 2816
 };
 
 inline auto get_workaround(const std::string &workaround) -> Workaround {
diff --git a/howdy/src/pam/optional_task.hh b/howdy/src/pam/optional_task.hh
index b439628..39b60a4 100644
--- a/howdy/src/pam/optional_task.hh
+++ b/howdy/src/pam/optional_task.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public:
 template <typename T>
 optional_task<T>::optional_task(std::function<T()> func)
     : task(std::packaged_task<T()>(std::move(func))), future(task.get_future()),
-      spawned(false), is_active(false) {}
+      spawned(), is_active() {}
 
 // Create a new thread and launch the task on it.
 template <typename T> void optional_task<T>::activate() {
diff --git a/howdy/src/recorders/video_capture.py b/howdy/src/recorders/video_capture.py
index 50032ad..2c55c57 100644
--- a/howdy/src/recorders/video_capture.py
+++ b/howdy/src/recorders/video_capture.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class VideoCapture:
 				print(_("Howdy could not find a camera device at the path specified in the config file."))
 				print(_("It is very likely that the path is not configured correctly, please edit the 'device_path' config value by running:"))
 				print("\n\tsudo howdy config\n")
-			sys.exit(1)
+			sys.exit(14)
 
 		# Create reader
 		# The internal video recorder
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class VideoCapture:
 		ret, frame = self.internal.read()
 		if not ret:
 			print(_("Failed to read camera specified in the 'device_path' config option, aborting"))
-			sys.exit(1)
+			sys.exit(14)
 
 		try:
 			# Convert from color to grayscale