diff --git a/accounts-db/src/hardened_unpack.rs b/accounts-db/src/hardened_unpack.rs
index 4d99f93ae9..39eca4f9cd 100644
--- a/accounts-db/src/hardened_unpack.rs
+++ b/accounts-db/src/hardened_unpack.rs
@@ -446,28 +446,35 @@ fn is_valid_snapshot_archive_entry(parts: &[&str], kind: tar::EntryType) -> bool
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Error, Debug)]
+pub enum OpenGenesisConfigError {
+    #[error("unpack error: {0}")]
+    Unpack(#[from] UnpackError),
+    #[error("Genesis load error: {0}")]
+    Load(#[from] std::io::Error),
+}
+
 pub fn open_genesis_config(
     ledger_path: &Path,
     max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size: u64,
-) -> GenesisConfig {
-    GenesisConfig::load(ledger_path).unwrap_or_else(|load_err| {
-        let genesis_package = ledger_path.join(DEFAULT_GENESIS_ARCHIVE);
-        unpack_genesis_archive(
-            &genesis_package,
-            ledger_path,
-            max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size,
-        )
-        .unwrap_or_else(|unpack_err| {
+) -> std::result::Result<GenesisConfig, OpenGenesisConfigError> {
+    match GenesisConfig::load(ledger_path) {
+        Ok(genesis_config) => Ok(genesis_config),
+        Err(load_err) => {
             warn!(
-                "Failed to open ledger genesis_config at {:?}: {}, {}",
-                ledger_path, load_err, unpack_err,
+                "Failed to load genesis_config at {ledger_path:?}: {load_err}. \
+                Will attempt to unpack genesis archive and then retry loading."
             );
-            std::process::exit(1);
-        });
 
-        // loading must succeed at this moment
-        GenesisConfig::load(ledger_path).unwrap()
-    })
+            let genesis_package = ledger_path.join(DEFAULT_GENESIS_ARCHIVE);
+            unpack_genesis_archive(
+                &genesis_package,
+                ledger_path,
+                max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size,
+            )?;
+            GenesisConfig::load(ledger_path).map_err(OpenGenesisConfigError::Load)
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn unpack_genesis_archive(
diff --git a/core/src/validator.rs b/core/src/validator.rs
index c2dd6c50f1..a8751e6d28 100644
--- a/core/src/validator.rs
+++ b/core/src/validator.rs
@@ -565,9 +565,10 @@ impl Validator {
                 "ledger directory does not exist or is not accessible: {ledger_path:?}"
             ));
         }
-
         let genesis_config =
-            open_genesis_config(ledger_path, config.max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size);
+            open_genesis_config(ledger_path, config.max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size)
+                .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to open genesis config: {err}"))?;
+
         metrics_config_sanity_check(genesis_config.cluster_type)?;
 
         if let Some(expected_shred_version) = config.expected_shred_version {
@@ -1764,7 +1765,8 @@ fn load_blockstore(
 > {
     info!("loading ledger from {:?}...", ledger_path);
     *start_progress.write().unwrap() = ValidatorStartProgress::LoadingLedger;
-    let genesis_config = open_genesis_config(ledger_path, config.max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size);
+    let genesis_config = open_genesis_config(ledger_path, config.max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("Failed to open genesis config: {err}"))?;
 
     // This needs to be limited otherwise the state in the VoteAccount data
     // grows too large
diff --git a/ledger-tool/src/ledger_utils.rs b/ledger-tool/src/ledger_utils.rs
index 5c2713ef18..1476c2df06 100644
--- a/ledger-tool/src/ledger_utils.rs
+++ b/ledger-tool/src/ledger_utils.rs
@@ -553,7 +553,11 @@ fn open_blockstore_with_temporary_primary_access(
 pub fn open_genesis_config_by(ledger_path: &Path, matches: &ArgMatches<'_>) -> GenesisConfig {
     let max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size =
         value_t_or_exit!(matches, "max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size", u64);
-    open_genesis_config(ledger_path, max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size)
+
+    open_genesis_config(ledger_path, max_genesis_archive_unpacked_size).unwrap_or_else(|err| {
+        eprintln!("Exiting. Failed to open genesis config: {err}");
+        exit(1);
+    })
 }
 
 pub fn get_program_ids(tx: &VersionedTransaction) -> impl Iterator<Item = &Pubkey> + '_ {
diff --git a/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs b/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs
index 4ed4ee46f7..74039f1a64 100644
--- a/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs
+++ b/local-cluster/tests/local_cluster.rs
@@ -2196,7 +2196,7 @@ fn create_snapshot_to_hard_fork(
         ..ProcessOptions::default()
     };
     let ledger_path = blockstore.ledger_path();
-    let genesis_config = open_genesis_config(ledger_path, u64::max_value());
+    let genesis_config = open_genesis_config(ledger_path, u64::max_value()).unwrap();
     let snapshot_config = create_simple_snapshot_config(ledger_path);
     let (bank_forks, ..) = bank_forks_utils::load(
         &genesis_config,