diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker_main.yml b/.github/workflows/docker_main.yml
index 754ff44..c4ab678 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker_main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker_main.yml
@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@ jobs:
     - name: build and test (docker)
       run: |
         docker build --tag whoogle-search:test .
-        docker run --publish 5000:5000 --detach --name whoogle-search whoogle-search:test
+        docker run --publish 5000:5000 --detach --name whoogle-search-nocompose whoogle-search:test
         sleep 15
-        docker exec whoogle-search curl -f http://localhost:5000/healthz || exit 1
+        docker exec whoogle-search-nocompose curl -f http://localhost:5000/healthz || exit 1
     - name: build and test (docker-compose)
       run: |
+        docker rm -f whoogle-search-nocompose
         docker-compose up --detach
         sleep 15
         docker exec whoogle-search curl -f http://localhost:5000/healthz || exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/docker_tests.yml
index f0d7deb..7eabdd9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker_tests.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ jobs:
         docker exec whoogle-search-nocompose curl -f http://localhost:5000/healthz || exit 1
     - name: build and test (docker-compose)
       run: |
+        docker rm -f whoogle-search-nocompose
         docker-compose up --detach
         sleep 15
         docker exec whoogle-search curl -f http://localhost:5000/healthz || exit 1
diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index 82c66fb..99daa01 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import json
 import logging.config
 import os
 from stem import Signal
+import threading
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
 app = Flask(__name__, static_folder=os.path.dirname(
@@ -97,7 +98,11 @@ if not os.path.exists(app.config['SESSION_FILE_DIR']):
 if not os.path.exists(app.config['BANG_PATH']):
     os.makedirs(app.config['BANG_PATH'])
 if not os.path.exists(app.config['BANG_FILE']):
-    gen_bangs_json(app.config['BANG_FILE'])
+    json.dump({}, open(app.config['BANG_FILE'], 'w'))
+    bangs_thread = threading.Thread(
+        target=gen_bangs_json,
+        args=(app.config['BANG_FILE'],))
+    bangs_thread.start()
 
 # Build new mapping of static files for cache busting
 if not os.path.exists(app.config['BUILD_FOLDER']):
diff --git a/app/routes.py b/app/routes.py
index 0cd9ecb..253db21 100644
--- a/app/routes.py
+++ b/app/routes.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import argparse
 import base64
 import io
 import json
+import os
 import pickle
 import urllib.parse as urlparse
 import uuid
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ from requests import exceptions, get
 from requests.models import PreparedRequest
 
 # Load DDG bang json files only on init
-bang_json = json.load(open(app.config['BANG_FILE']))
+bang_json = json.load(open(app.config['BANG_FILE'])) or {}
 
 # Check the newest version of WHOOGLE
 update = bsoup(get(app.config['RELEASES_URL']).text, 'html.parser')
@@ -101,6 +102,8 @@ def session_required(f):
 
 @app.before_request
 def before_request_func():
+    global bang_json
+
     g.request_params = (
         request.args if request.method == 'GET' else request.form
     )
@@ -150,6 +153,15 @@ def before_request_func():
 
     g.app_location = g.user_config.url
 
+    # Attempt to reload bangs json if not generated yet
+    if not bang_json and os.path.getsize(app.config['BANG_FILE']) > 4:
+        try:
+            bang_json = json.load(open(app.config['BANG_FILE']))
+        except json.decoder.JSONDecodeError:
+            # Ignore decoding error, can occur if file is still 
+            # being written
+            pass
+
 
 @app.after_request
 def after_request_func(resp):
diff --git a/app/utils/bangs.py b/app/utils/bangs.py
index 23b3c04..4a1a3cb 100644
--- a/app/utils/bangs.py
+++ b/app/utils/bangs.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ def gen_bangs_json(bangs_file: str) -> None:
         }
 
     json.dump(bangs_data, open(bangs_file, 'w'))
+    print('* Finished creating ddg bangs json')
 
 
 def resolve_bang(query: str, bangs_dict: dict) -> str: