diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/Server.java b/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/Server.java
index cd9e07c9..ee11cd39 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/Server.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/Server.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package com.hedera.block.server;
 
+import com.hedera.block.server.exception.UnhandledIOException;
 import edu.umd.cs.findbugs.annotations.NonNull;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
@@ -38,12 +39,13 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) {
         @NonNull
         final BlockNodeAppInjectionComponent daggerComponent =
                 DaggerBlockNodeAppInjectionComponent.create();
-        @NonNull final BlockNodeApp server = daggerComponent.getBlockNodeApp();
+        @NonNull final BlockNodeApp blockNodeApp = daggerComponent.getBlockNodeApp();
 
         try {
-            server.startServer();
+            blockNodeApp.startServer();
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            LOGGER.log((System.Logger.Level.ERROR), "Failed to start server", e);
+            throw new UnhandledIOException(e);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/exception/UnhandledIOException.java b/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/exception/UnhandledIOException.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1e5daee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/hedera/block/server/exception/UnhandledIOException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package com.hedera.block.server.exception;
+
+import java.io.Serial;
+
+/**
+ * UnhandledIOException is a RuntimeException that wraps an IOException.
+ * This can be used to rethrow checked IOExceptions as unchecked exceptions.
+ */
+public class UnhandledIOException extends RuntimeException {
+
+    @Serial
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a new UnhandledIOException with the specified cause.
+     *
+     * @param cause the underlying IOException that caused this exception
+     */
+    public UnhandledIOException(final Throwable cause) {
+        super(cause);
+    }
+}