diff --git a/bin/node b/bin/node
index bc9693a5..6fb094ad 100755
--- a/bin/node
+++ b/bin/node
@@ -50,6 +50,26 @@ process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
   await node.close();
 });
 
+node.on('abort', async (err) => {
+  const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+    console.error('Shutdown is taking a long time. Exitting.');
+    process.exit(3);
+  }, 5000);
+
+  timeout.unref();
+
+  try {
+    console.error('Shutting down...');
+    await node.close();
+    clearTimeout(timeout);
+    console.error(err.stack);
+    process.exit(2);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error(`Error occurred during shutdown: ${e.message}`);
+    process.exit(3);
+  }
+});
+
 (async () => {
   await node.ensure();
   await node.open();
diff --git a/bin/spvnode b/bin/spvnode
index e24a9d02..50ebc4f6 100755
--- a/bin/spvnode
+++ b/bin/spvnode
@@ -67,6 +67,26 @@ process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
   await node.close();
 });
 
+node.on('abort', async (err) => {
+  const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+    console.error('Shutdown is taking a long time. Exitting.');
+    process.exit(3);
+  }, 5000);
+
+  timeout.unref();
+
+  try {
+    console.error('Shutting down...');
+    await node.close();
+    clearTimeout(timeout);
+    console.error(err.stack);
+    process.exit(2);
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error(`Error occurred during shutdown: ${e.message}`);
+    process.exit(3);
+  }
+});
+
 (async () => {
   await node.ensure();
   await node.open();
diff --git a/lib/blockchain/chain.js b/lib/blockchain/chain.js
index dd26947f..f61508dd 100644
--- a/lib/blockchain/chain.js
+++ b/lib/blockchain/chain.js
@@ -998,8 +998,9 @@ class Chain extends AsyncEmitter {
 
       if (ns.isNull()) {
         if (!covenant.isClaim() && !covenant.isOpen()) {
-          this.emit('abort', 'Unexpected null NameState.');
-          throw new CriticalError('Database inconsistency.');
+          const error = new CriticalError('Database inconsistency.');
+          this.emit('abort', error);
+          throw error;
         }
 
         const name = covenant.get(2);
@@ -1899,8 +1900,9 @@ class Chain extends AsyncEmitter {
     try {
       await this.db.save(entry, block, view);
     } catch (e) {
-      this.emit('abort', e.message);
-      throw new CriticalError(e);
+      const error = new CriticalError(e.message);
+      this.emit('abort', error);
+      throw error;
     }
 
     // Expose the new state.
@@ -1963,8 +1965,9 @@ class Chain extends AsyncEmitter {
     try {
       await this.db.save(entry, block);
     } catch (e) {
-      this.emit('abort', e.message);
-      throw new CriticalError(e);
+      const error = new CriticalError(e.message);
+      this.emit('abort', error);
+      throw error;
     }
 
     this.logger.warning('Heads up: Competing chain at height %d:'
diff --git a/lib/errors.js b/lib/errors.js
index 3d0b9ffa..31ffbc78 100644
--- a/lib/errors.js
+++ b/lib/errors.js
@@ -10,43 +10,24 @@
  * @module errors
  */
 
-const assert = require('bsert');
-
 /**
  * Critical Error
  * An error severe enough to warrant shutting down the node.
  * @extends Error
- * @param {Block|TX} msg
- * @param {String} code - Reject packet code.
- * @param {String} reason - Reject packet reason.
- * @param {Number} score - Ban score increase
- * (can be -1 for no reject packet).
- * @param {Boolean} malleated
  */
 
 class CriticalError extends Error {
   /**
    * Create a verify error.
    * @constructor
-   * @param {Block|TX} msg
-   * @param {String} code - Reject packet code.
-   * @param {String} reason - Reject packet reason.
-   * @param {Number} score - Ban score increase
-   * (can be -1 for no reject packet).
-   * @param {Boolean} malleated
+   * @param {String} msg
    */
 
-  constructor(err) {
+  constructor(msg) {
     super();
 
     this.type = 'CriticalError';
-
-    if (err instanceof Error) {
-      this.message = `Critical Error: ${err.message}`;
-    } else {
-      assert(typeof err === 'string');
-      this.message = `Critical Error: ${err}`;
-    }
+    this.message = `Critical Error: ${msg}`;
 
     if (Error.captureStackTrace)
       Error.captureStackTrace(this, CriticalError);
diff --git a/lib/node/fullnode.js b/lib/node/fullnode.js
index 4fd7245d..1754180d 100644
--- a/lib/node/fullnode.js
+++ b/lib/node/fullnode.js
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class FullNode extends Node {
   init() {
     // Bind to errors
     this.chain.on('error', err => this.error(err));
-    this.chain.on('abort', msg => this.abort(msg));
+    this.chain.on('abort', err => this.abort(err));
 
     this.mempool.on('error', err => this.error(err));
     this.pool.on('error', err => this.error(err));
@@ -350,23 +350,6 @@ class FullNode extends Node {
     this.emit('closed');
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Emergency shutdown.
-   * @param {String} msg - error message
-   * @returns {Promise}
-   */
-
-   async abort(msg) {
-      this.logger.error(`Critical error, shutting down: ${msg}`);
-      try {
-        this.emit('abort', msg);
-        await this.close();
-      } catch (e) {
-        this.logger.error(`Error occurred during shutdown: ${e.message}`);
-        process.exit(-2);
-      }
-   }
-
   /**
    * Rescan for any missed transactions.
    * @param {Number|Hash} start - Start block.
diff --git a/lib/node/node.js b/lib/node/node.js
index 315d9c05..dea3d5ba 100644
--- a/lib/node/node.js
+++ b/lib/node/node.js
@@ -305,6 +305,17 @@ class Node extends EventEmitter {
     this.emit('error', err);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Emit and log an abort error.
+   * @private
+   * @param {Error} err
+   */
+
+  abort(err) {
+    this.logger.error(err);
+    this.emit('abort', err);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get node uptime in seconds.
    * @returns {Number}
diff --git a/lib/node/spvnode.js b/lib/node/spvnode.js
index cf67da9d..87548ab4 100644
--- a/lib/node/spvnode.js
+++ b/lib/node/spvnode.js
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class SPVNode extends Node {
   init() {
     // Bind to errors
     this.chain.on('error', err => this.error(err));
-    this.chain.on('abort', msg => this.abort(msg));
+    this.chain.on('abort', err => this.abort(err));
 
     this.pool.on('error', err => this.error(err));
 
@@ -221,23 +221,6 @@ class SPVNode extends Node {
     this.emit('closed');
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Emergency shutdown.
-   * @param {String} msg - error message
-   * @returns {Promise}
-   */
-
-   async abort(msg) {
-      this.logger.error(`Critical error, shutting down: ${msg}`);
-      try {
-        this.emit('abort', msg);
-        await this.close();
-      } catch (e) {
-        this.logger.error(`Error occurred during shutdown: ${e.message}`);
-        process.exit(-2);
-      }
-   }
-
   /**
    * Scan for any missed transactions.
    * Note that this will replay the blockchain sync.
diff --git a/test/node-critical-error-test.js b/test/node-critical-error-test.js
index 68df3449..7722d432 100644
--- a/test/node-critical-error-test.js
+++ b/test/node-critical-error-test.js
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ describe('Node Critical Error', function() {
       node.once('closed', () => resolve());
     });
 
+    node.on('abort', async () => {
+      try {
+        await node.close();
+      } catch (e) {
+        ;
+      }
+    });
+
     await mineBlocks(node, 99);
     node.chain.db.db.batch = () => {
       return {
@@ -112,6 +120,14 @@ describe('Node Critical Error', function() {
       node.once('closed', () => resolve());
     });
 
+    node.on('abort', async () => {
+      try {
+        await node.close();
+      } catch (e) {
+        ;
+      }
+    });
+
     await mineBlocks(node, 50);
     node.chain.db.tree.store.commit = () => {
       throw new Error('Disk full!');