diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -796,11 +796,14 @@ struct distrenjob *createJobFromXML(int 
   int counter;
   int counter2;
 
-  distrenjob_new(&distrenjob);
-
   _distren_asprintf(&file_name, "stor/job%d/job_info.xml", job_number);
 
   doc = xmlParseFile(file_name);
+  if(!doc)
+    return NULL;
+
+  distrenjob_new(&distrenjob);
+
   cur = xmlDocGetRootElement(doc);
 
   distrenjob->name = (char*)xmlGetProp(cur, (xmlChar*)"name");
@@ -923,11 +926,15 @@ int update_xml_joblist(struct general_in
   return 1;
 }
 
-// returns 1 if completed successfully, 0 if not
-// this reads a list of jobs in the queue before DistRen was shut down
-// and then adds the jobs to the queue, as if it were never shut down
+/**
+ returns 0 if completed successfully
+ this reads a list of jobs in the queue before DistRen was shut down
+ and then adds the jobs to the queue, as if it were never shut down
+*/
 int createQueueFromXML(struct distrenjob *head)
 {
+  int tmp;
+
   xmlDocPtr doc;  // holds xml document in memory
   xmlNodePtr cur; // points to the current xml element node
 
@@ -936,7 +943,7 @@ int createQueueFromXML(struct distrenjob
   if(doc == NULL)
     {
       fprintf(stderr, "createQueueFromXML: document not found\n");
-      return 0;
+      return 1;
     }
 
   // have cur point to the root element of the xml document pointed to by doc
@@ -944,7 +951,7 @@ int createQueueFromXML(struct distrenjob
   if(cur == NULL)
     {
       fprintf(stderr, "createQueueFromXML: document empty\n");
-      return 0;
+      return 1;
     }
 
   if(xmlStrcmp(cur->name, (const xmlChar*)"job_list"))
@@ -955,23 +962,11 @@ int createQueueFromXML(struct distrenjob
   // moves into the children elements of job_list
   cur = cur->xmlChildrenNode;
 
-  reCreateQueueFromXML(head, doc, cur);
-  /* scans the list of all jobs that were in queue before DistRen shutdown
-  while(cur != NULL)
-    {
-      tmp = xmlNodeListGetString(doc, cur->xmlChildrenNode, 1);
-      fprintf(stderr, "adding job: %s", tmp);
-      // add job from job number @TODO create function with parameters (struct distrenjob *head, int job_number)
-      // LordOfWar calls dibs on above todo
-
-
-      xmlFree(tmp);
-      cur = cur->next; // go to next child element of job_list element
-    }*/
+  tmp = reCreateQueueFromXML(head, doc, cur);
 
   xmlFreeDoc(doc);
 
-  return 1;
+  return tmp;
 }
 
 // inserts jobs at front of queue, starting with the last job in the job_list xml file
@@ -986,20 +981,25 @@ int reCreateQueueFromXML(struct distrenj
     return 0;
 
   // recursively call itself so that the next job in the queue is added to the front before the current one
-  reCreateQueueFromXML(head, doc, current->next);
+  if(reCreateQueueFromXML(head, doc, current->next))
+    return 1;
 
   // now actual work is done, adding the job to the front of the queue
   holder = head->next; // initialize holder
+
   tmp = xmlNodeListGetString(doc, current->xmlChildrenNode, 1); // get job number
   job_num = atoi((char*)tmp);
+  xmlFree(tmp);
+
   job = createJobFromXML(job_num);
-  xmlFree(tmp); // free xml char (that holds the job number)
+  if(job == NULL)
+    return 1;
 
   // insert job at front of the queue
   head->next = job;
   job->next = holder;
 
-  return 1;
+  return 0;
 }
 
 /* ************************** Test Functions ************************* */