diff --git a/slackmail.py b/slackmail.py
index fc20339..2fda135 100644
--- a/slackmail.py
+++ b/slackmail.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 # Copyright 2015 (c) Anna Schumaker.
+
+import json
+import sys
 from urllib import request
 
 
@@ -17,13 +20,20 @@ def call_method(method, args = dict()):
 
     server  = "https://slack.com/api/"
     with request.urlopen("%s/%s?%s" % (server, method, argstr)) as f:
-        print(f.read().decode())
+        return json.loads(f.read().decode())
+    return {"ok" : False}
 
 
 def call_method_auth(method, args = dict()):
-    args['token'] = TOKEN
-    call_method(method, args)
+    args["token"] = TOKEN
+    return call_method(method, args)
 
-call_method("api.test")
-call_method_auth("auth.test")
 
+
+#
+# Test connection before doing anything else
+#
+if call_method("api.test")["ok"] == False:
+    sys.exit(1)
+if call_method_auth("auth.test")["ok"] == False:
+    sys.exit(1)