diff --git a/MareSynchronos/FileCache/FileCacheManager.cs b/MareSynchronos/FileCache/FileCacheManager.cs
index 66f8609..7e134bf 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/FileCache/FileCacheManager.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/FileCache/FileCacheManager.cs
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ public sealed class FileCacheManager : IHostedService
     public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         _logger.LogInformation("Starting FileCacheManager");
+
         lock (_fileWriteLock)
         {
             try
@@ -413,6 +414,13 @@ public sealed class FileCacheManager : IHostedService
 
         if (File.Exists(_csvPath))
         {
+            if (!_ipcManager.Penumbra.APIAvailable || string.IsNullOrEmpty(_ipcManager.Penumbra.ModDirectory))
+            {
+                _mareMediator.Publish(new NotificationMessage("Penumbra not connected",
+                    "Could not load local file cache data. Penumbra is not connected or not properly set up. Please enable and/or configure Penumbra properly to use Mare. After, reload Mare in the Plugin installer.",
+                    MareConfiguration.Models.NotificationType.Error));
+            }
+
             _logger.LogInformation("{csvPath} found, parsing", _csvPath);
 
             bool success = false;
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/Interop/Ipc/IpcCallerPenumbra.cs b/MareSynchronos/Interop/Ipc/IpcCallerPenumbra.cs
index 1277c18..104ebce 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/Interop/Ipc/IpcCallerPenumbra.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/Interop/Ipc/IpcCallerPenumbra.cs
@@ -103,7 +103,14 @@ public sealed class IpcCallerPenumbra : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase, IIpcCa
                 .FirstOrDefault(p => string.Equals(p.InternalName, "Penumbra", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                 ?.Version ?? new Version(0, 0, 0, 0));
             penumbraAvailable = penumbraVersion >= new Version(1, 1, 0, 0);
-            penumbraAvailable &= _penumbraEnabled.Invoke();
+            try
+            {
+                penumbraAvailable &= _penumbraEnabled.Invoke();
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                penumbraAvailable = false;
+            }
             _shownPenumbraUnavailable = _shownPenumbraUnavailable && !penumbraAvailable;
             APIAvailable = penumbraAvailable;
         }
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PlayerDataFactory.cs b/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PlayerDataFactory.cs
index f347b2f..094f687 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PlayerDataFactory.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PlayerDataFactory.cs
@@ -43,7 +43,10 @@ public class PlayerDataFactory
     {
         if (!_ipcManager.Initialized)
         {
-            throw new InvalidOperationException("Penumbra is not connected");
+            _mareMediator.Publish(new NotificationMessage("Penumbra/Glamourer inactive",
+                "Mare attempted to process building your character data, but Penumbra or Glamourer are inactive. Enable and set up Penumbra and Glamourer for Mare to be able to function.",
+                NotificationType.Error));
+            throw new InvalidOperationException("Penumbra or Glamourer is not connected");
         }
 
         if (playerRelatedObject == null) return;
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/Plugin.cs b/MareSynchronos/Plugin.cs
index 240b266..82ebf42 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/Plugin.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/Plugin.cs
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ public sealed class Plugin : IDalamudPlugin
                 s.GetRequiredService<MareMediator>(), s.GetRequiredService<IpcCallerPenumbra>(), s.GetRequiredService<IpcCallerGlamourer>(),
                 s.GetRequiredService<IpcCallerCustomize>(), s.GetRequiredService<IpcCallerHeels>(), s.GetRequiredService<IpcCallerHonorific>(),
                 s.GetRequiredService<IpcCallerMoodles>()));
-
+            collection.AddSingleton((s) => new NotificationService(s.GetRequiredService<ILogger<NotificationService>>(),
+                s.GetRequiredService<MareMediator>(), notificationManager, chatGui, s.GetRequiredService<MareConfigService>()));
             collection.AddSingleton((s) => new MareConfigService(pluginInterface.ConfigDirectory.FullName));
             collection.AddSingleton((s) => new ServerConfigService(pluginInterface.ConfigDirectory.FullName));
             collection.AddSingleton((s) => new NotesConfigService(pluginInterface.ConfigDirectory.FullName));
@@ -149,14 +150,13 @@ public sealed class Plugin : IDalamudPlugin
             collection.AddScoped((s) => new CommandManagerService(commandManager, s.GetRequiredService<PerformanceCollectorService>(),
                 s.GetRequiredService<ServerConfigurationManager>(), s.GetRequiredService<CacheMonitor>(), s.GetRequiredService<ApiController>(),
                 s.GetRequiredService<MareMediator>(), s.GetRequiredService<MareConfigService>()));
-            collection.AddScoped((s) => new NotificationService(s.GetRequiredService<ILogger<NotificationService>>(),
-                s.GetRequiredService<MareMediator>(), notificationManager, chatGui, s.GetRequiredService<MareConfigService>()));
             collection.AddScoped((s) => new UiSharedService(s.GetRequiredService<ILogger<UiSharedService>>(), s.GetRequiredService<IpcManager>(), s.GetRequiredService<ApiController>(),
                 s.GetRequiredService<CacheMonitor>(), s.GetRequiredService<FileDialogManager>(), s.GetRequiredService<MareConfigService>(), s.GetRequiredService<DalamudUtilService>(),
                 pluginInterface, textureProvider, s.GetRequiredService<Dalamud.Localization>(), s.GetRequiredService<ServerConfigurationManager>(), s.GetRequiredService<MareMediator>()));
 
-            collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<FileCacheManager>());
             collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<MareMediator>());
+            collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<NotificationService>());
+            collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<FileCacheManager>());
             collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<ConfigurationMigrator>());
             collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<DalamudUtilService>());
             collection.AddHostedService(p => p.GetRequiredService<PerformanceCollectorService>());
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/Services/NotificationService.cs b/MareSynchronos/Services/NotificationService.cs
index 0e16930..34053f2 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/Services/NotificationService.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/Services/NotificationService.cs
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ using Dalamud.Plugin.Services;
 using MareSynchronos.MareConfiguration;
 using MareSynchronos.MareConfiguration.Models;
 using MareSynchronos.Services.Mediator;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 using NotificationType = MareSynchronos.MareConfiguration.Models.NotificationType;
 
 namespace MareSynchronos.Services;
 
-public class NotificationService : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
+public class NotificationService : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase, IHostedService
 {
     private readonly INotificationManager _notificationManager;
     private readonly IChatGui _chatGui;
@@ -21,8 +22,17 @@ public class NotificationService : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
         _notificationManager = notificationManager;
         _chatGui = chatGui;
         _configurationService = configurationService;
+    }
 
+    public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
         Mediator.Subscribe<NotificationMessage>(this, ShowNotification);
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
+    }
+
+    public Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
     }
 
     private void PrintErrorChat(string? message)
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/Services/XivDataAnalyzer.cs b/MareSynchronos/Services/XivDataAnalyzer.cs
index 151810a..1e09228 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/Services/XivDataAnalyzer.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/Services/XivDataAnalyzer.cs
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ public sealed class XivDataAnalyzer
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
+            _configService.Current.TriangleDictionary[hash] = 0;
+            _configService.Save();
             _logger.LogWarning(e, "Could not parse file {file}", filePath);
             return Task.FromResult((long)0);
         }