diff --git a/examples/echobot.rs b/examples/echobot.rs
index 986d950..d137566 100644
--- a/examples/echobot.rs
+++ b/examples/echobot.rs
@@ -5,16 +5,13 @@ use libcwtch::structs::*;
 use libcwtch::CwtchLib;
 
 fn main() {
-    let bot_home: String = "example_cwtch_dir".to_string();
-    match std::fs::remove_dir_all(&bot_home) {
-        Err(_e) => (),
-        _ => (),
-    }
-    std::fs::create_dir_all(&bot_home).unwrap();
+    let bot_home = "example_cwtch_dir";
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&bot_home).expect("Error removing previous bot_home directory");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&bot_home).expect("Error creating bot_home directory");
 
     let cwtch = libcwtch::new_cwtchlib_go();
     println!("start_cwtch");
-    let ret = cwtch.start_cwtch(bot_home.as_str(), "");
+    let ret = cwtch.start_cwtch(bot_home, "");
     println!("start_cwtch returned {}", ret);
 
     let event_loop_handle = thread::spawn(move || {
@@ -22,7 +19,8 @@ fn main() {
             let event_str = cwtch.get_appbus_event();
             println!("event: {}", event_str);
 
-            let event: CwtchEvent = serde_json::from_str(&event_str).unwrap();
+            let event: CwtchEvent =
+                serde_json::from_str(&event_str).expect("Error parsing Cwtch event");
             match event.event_type.as_str() {
                 "CwtchStarted" => {
                     println!("event CwtchStarted!");
@@ -46,19 +44,20 @@ fn main() {
                     print!("profile: {:?}", profile);
                 }
                 "NewMessageFromPeer" => {
-                    let to = event.data["ProfileOnion"].to_string();
-                    let conversation = event.data["RemotePeer"].to_string();
+                    let to = &event.data["ProfileOnion"];
+                    let conversation = &event.data["RemotePeer"];
                     let message: Message =
-                        serde_json::from_str(event.data["Data"].as_str()).unwrap();
+                        serde_json::from_str(&event.data["Data"]).expect("Error parsing message");
 
                     let response = Message { o: 1, d: message.d };
-                    let response_json = serde_json::to_string(&response).unwrap();
-                    cwtch.send_message(to.as_str(), conversation.as_str(), response_json.as_str());
+                    let response_json =
+                        serde_json::to_string(&response).expect("Error parsing json response");
+                    cwtch.send_message(&to, &conversation, &response_json);
                 }
-                _ => println!("unhandled event!"),
+                _ => eprintln!("unhandled event!"),
             };
         }
     });
 
-    event_loop_handle.join().unwrap();
+    event_loop_handle.join().expect("Error running event loop");
 }