diff --git a/.changes/store-plugin-rework.md b/.changes/store-plugin-rework.md
index 6a771690..2b6d3618 100644
--- a/.changes/store-plugin-rework.md
+++ b/.changes/store-plugin-rework.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 - Renamed `StoreCollection` to `StoreState`
 - `StoreBuilder::build` now returns a `Result`
-- `StoreExt::store` now returns `Arc<Store>` instead of `Store`
+- `StoreExt::store` now returns `Result<Arc<Store>>`
 
 Other Changes:
 
diff --git a/plugins/store/examples/AppSettingsManager/src-tauri/src/main.rs b/plugins/store/examples/AppSettingsManager/src-tauri/src/main.rs
index fbe250ae..f20db4fc 100644
--- a/plugins/store/examples/AppSettingsManager/src-tauri/src/main.rs
+++ b/plugins/store/examples/AppSettingsManager/src-tauri/src/main.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ fn main() {
         .plugin(tauri_plugin_store::Builder::new().build())
         .setup(|app| {
             // Init store and load it from disk
-            let store = app.store("settings.json");
+            let store = app.store("settings.json")?;
             app.listen("store://change", |event| {
                 dbg!(event);
             });
diff --git a/plugins/store/src/lib.rs b/plugins/store/src/lib.rs
index 1edfa569..15b98d38 100644
--- a/plugins/store/src/lib.rs
+++ b/plugins/store/src/lib.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ async fn create_or_existing_store<R: Runtime>(
         serialize_fn_name,
         deserialize_fn_name,
     )?;
-    let (_, rid) = builder.build_or_existing_inner();
+    let (_, rid) = builder.build_or_existing_inner()?;
     Ok(rid)
 }
 
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ async fn get_store<R: Runtime>(
     path: PathBuf,
 ) -> Result<Option<ResourceId>> {
     let stores = store_state.stores.lock().unwrap();
-    Ok(stores.get(&resolve_store_path(&app, path)).copied())
+    Ok(stores.get(&resolve_store_path(&app, path)?).copied())
 }
 
 #[tauri::command]
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ async fn save<R: Runtime>(app: AppHandle<R>, rid: ResourceId) -> Result<()> {
 
 pub trait StoreExt<R: Runtime> {
     /// Create a store or get an existing store with default settings at path
-    fn store(&self, path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Arc<Store<R>>;
+    fn store(&self, path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<Arc<Store<R>>>;
     /// Create a store with default settings
     fn create_store(&self, path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<Arc<Store<R>>>;
     /// Get a store builder
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ pub trait StoreExt<R: Runtime> {
 }
 
 impl<R: Runtime, T: Manager<R>> StoreExt<R> for T {
-    fn store(&self, path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Arc<Store<R>> {
+    fn store(&self, path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<Arc<Store<R>>> {
         StoreBuilder::new(self.app_handle(), path).build_or_existing()
     }
 
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ impl<R: Runtime, T: Manager<R>> StoreExt<R> for T {
         let collection = self.state::<StoreState>();
         let stores = collection.stores.lock().unwrap();
         stores
-            .get(&resolve_store_path(self.app_handle(), path.as_ref()))
+            .get(&resolve_store_path(self.app_handle(), path.as_ref()).ok()?)
             .and_then(|rid| self.resources_table().get(*rid).ok())
     }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/store/src/store.rs b/plugins/store/src/store.rs
index b9122f99..ccdb8487 100644
--- a/plugins/store/src/store.rs
+++ b/plugins/store/src/store.rs
@@ -27,13 +27,8 @@ pub type DeserializeFn =
 pub(crate) fn resolve_store_path<R: Runtime>(
     app: &AppHandle<R>,
     path: impl AsRef<Path>,
-) -> PathBuf {
-    dunce::simplified(
-        &app.path()
-            .resolve(path, BaseDirectory::AppData)
-            .expect("failed to resolve app dir"),
-    )
-    .to_path_buf()
+) -> crate::Result<PathBuf> {
+    Ok(dunce::simplified(&app.path().resolve(path, BaseDirectory::AppData)?).to_path_buf())
 }
 
 /// Builds a [`Store`]
@@ -61,13 +56,12 @@ impl<R: Runtime> StoreBuilder<R> {
     /// ```
     pub fn new<M: Manager<R>, P: AsRef<Path>>(manager: &M, path: P) -> Self {
         let app = manager.app_handle().clone();
-        let path = resolve_store_path(&app, path);
         let state = app.state::<StoreState>();
         let serialize_fn = state.default_serialize;
         let deserialize_fn = state.default_deserialize;
         Self {
             app,
-            path,
+            path: path.as_ref().to_path_buf(),
             defaults: None,
             serialize_fn,
             deserialize_fn,
@@ -217,35 +211,15 @@ impl<R: Runtime> StoreBuilder<R> {
         Ok((store, rid))
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn build_or_existing_inner(mut self) -> (Arc<Store<R>>, ResourceId) {
-        let state = self.app.state::<StoreState>();
-        let mut stores = state.stores.lock().unwrap();
-
-        if let Some(rid) = stores.get(&self.path) {
-            (self.app.resources_table().get(*rid).unwrap(), *rid)
-        } else {
-            let mut store_inner = StoreInner::new(
-                self.app.clone(),
-                self.path.clone(),
-                self.defaults.take(),
-                self.serialize_fn,
-                self.deserialize_fn,
-            );
-            if self.load_on_build {
-                let _ = store_inner.load();
+    pub(crate) fn build_or_existing_inner(self) -> crate::Result<(Arc<Store<R>>, ResourceId)> {
+        {
+            let state = self.app.state::<StoreState>();
+            let stores = state.stores.lock().unwrap();
+            if let Some(rid) = stores.get(&self.path) {
+                return Ok((self.app.resources_table().get(*rid).unwrap(), *rid));
             }
-
-            let store = Store {
-                auto_save: self.auto_save,
-                auto_save_debounce_sender: Arc::new(Mutex::new(None)),
-                store: Arc::new(Mutex::new(store_inner)),
-            };
-
-            let store = Arc::new(store);
-            let rid = self.app.resources_table().add_arc(store.clone());
-            stores.insert(self.path, rid);
-            (store, rid)
         }
+        self.build_inner()
     }
 
     /// Builds the [`Store`], also see [`build_or_existing`](Self::build_or_existing).
@@ -283,9 +257,9 @@ impl<R: Runtime> StoreBuilder<R> {
     ///     Ok(())
     ///   });
     /// ```
-    pub fn build_or_existing(self) -> Arc<Store<R>> {
-        let (store, _) = self.build_or_existing_inner();
-        store
+    pub fn build_or_existing(self) -> crate::Result<Arc<Store<R>>> {
+        let (store, _) = self.build_or_existing_inner()?;
+        Ok(store)
     }
 }