diff --git a/demos/WPF/App.xaml b/demos/WPF/App.xaml
index bc72abf..cbaaee4 100644
--- a/demos/WPF/App.xaml
+++ b/demos/WPF/App.xaml
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 <Application x:Class="PowersyncDotnetTodoList.App"
              xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
              xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
-             xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:PowersyncDotnetTodoList.Converters">
+             xmlns:converters="clr-namespace:PowersyncDotnetTodoList.Converters"
+             DispatcherUnhandledException="Application_DispatcherUnhandledException">
     <Application.Resources>
          <converters:BoolToStatusConverter x:Key="BoolToStatusConverter"/>
          <converters:StringToVisibilityConverter x:Key="StringToVisibilityConverter"/>
diff --git a/demos/WPF/App.xaml.cs b/demos/WPF/App.xaml.cs
index 0479cf1..629d3a7 100644
--- a/demos/WPF/App.xaml.cs
+++ b/demos/WPF/App.xaml.cs
@@ -14,28 +14,41 @@ public partial class App : Application
     {
         public static IServiceProvider? Services { get; private set; }
 
-        protected override async void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
+        protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
         {
             base.OnStartup(e);
 
+            // Handle async initialization synchronously or with proper error handling
+            try
+            {
+                InitializeApplicationAsync().GetAwaiter().GetResult();
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                MessageBox.Show(
+                    $"Application startup failed: {ex.Message}\n\nFull error: {ex}",
+                    "Startup Error",
+                    MessageBoxButton.OK,
+                    MessageBoxImage.Error
+                );
+
+                // Shut down the application
+                Current.Shutdown(1);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private async Task InitializeApplicationAsync()
+        {
             var services = new ServiceCollection();
             ConfigureServices(services);
 
             // Build the service provider
             Services = services.BuildServiceProvider();
-
-            // Initialize the database and connector
-            var db = Services.GetRequiredService<PowerSyncDatabase>();
-            var connector = Services.GetRequiredService<PowerSyncConnector>();
-            await db.Init();
-            await db.Connect(connector);
-            await db.WaitForFirstSync();
-
             var mainWindow = Services.GetRequiredService<MainWindow>();
-
             var navigationService = Services.GetRequiredService<INavigationService>();
-            navigationService.Navigate<TodoListViewModel>();
 
+            navigationService.Navigate<TodoListViewModel>();
             mainWindow.Show();
         }
 
@@ -67,7 +80,10 @@ private void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
             );
 
             // Register PowerSyncConnector
-            services.AddSingleton<PowerSyncConnector>();
+            services.AddSingleton<PowerSyncConnector>(sp =>
+            {
+                return new PowerSyncConnector();
+            });
 
             // Register ViewModels and Views
             services.AddTransient<TodoListViewModel>();
@@ -86,5 +102,21 @@ private void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
                 return new NavigationService(mainWindow.MainFrame, sp);
             });
         }
+
+        // Add global exception handler
+        private void Application_DispatcherUnhandledException(
+            object sender,
+            System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherUnhandledExceptionEventArgs e
+        )
+        {
+            MessageBox.Show(
+                $"An unhandled exception occurred: {e.Exception.Message}\n\nFull error: {e.Exception}",
+                "Unhandled Exception",
+                MessageBoxButton.OK,
+                MessageBoxImage.Error
+            );
+
+            e.Handled = true; // Prevent application crash
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/demos/WPF/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/demos/WPF/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 26047c2..8509953 100644
--- a/demos/WPF/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/demos/WPF/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -1,14 +1,48 @@
-using System.Windows;
+using PowerSync.Common.Client;
+using PowersyncDotnetTodoList.Services;
 using PowersyncDotnetTodoList.ViewModels;
 
 namespace PowersyncDotnetTodoList;
 
 public partial class MainWindow : Window
 {
-    public MainWindow(MainWindowViewModel viewModel)
+    private readonly MainWindowViewModel _viewModel;
+    private readonly PowerSyncConnector _connector;
+    private readonly PowerSyncDatabase _db;
+
+    public MainWindow(
+        MainWindowViewModel viewModel,
+        PowerSyncConnector connector,
+        PowerSyncDatabase db
+    )
     {
         InitializeComponent();
 
-        this.DataContext = viewModel;
+        _viewModel = viewModel;
+        _connector = connector;
+        _db = db;
+
+        this.DataContext = _viewModel;
+
+        // Start the async initialization
+        InitializeAsync();
+    }
+
+    private async void InitializeAsync()
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            await _db.Init();
+            await _db.Connect(_connector);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            MessageBox.Show(
+                $"Failed to initialize database: {ex.Message}",
+                "Error",
+                MessageBoxButton.OK,
+                MessageBoxImage.Error
+            );
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/demos/WPF/Properties/PublishProfiles/FolderProfile.pubxml b/demos/WPF/Properties/PublishProfiles/FolderProfile.pubxml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a31548a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/demos/WPF/Properties/PublishProfiles/FolderProfile.pubxml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!-- https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=208121. -->
+<Project>
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <Configuration>Release</Configuration>
+    <Platform>Any CPU</Platform>
+    <PublishDir>bin\Release\net9.0-windows\publish\win-x64\</PublishDir>
+    <PublishProtocol>FileSystem</PublishProtocol>
+    <_TargetId>Folder</_TargetId>
+    <TargetFramework>net9.0-windows</TargetFramework>
+    <RuntimeIdentifier>win-x64</RuntimeIdentifier>
+    <SelfContained>true</SelfContained>
+    <PublishSingleFile>false</PublishSingleFile>
+    <PublishReadyToRun>false</PublishReadyToRun>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demos/WPF/ViewModels/MainWindowViewModel.cs b/demos/WPF/ViewModels/MainWindowViewModel.cs
index 7b596d4..368ee16 100644
--- a/demos/WPF/ViewModels/MainWindowViewModel.cs
+++ b/demos/WPF/ViewModels/MainWindowViewModel.cs
@@ -29,17 +29,35 @@ public bool Connected
         #region Constructor
         public MainWindowViewModel(PowerSyncDatabase db)
         {
-            _db = db;
-            // Set up the listener to track the status changes
-            _db.RunListener(
-                (update) =>
+            try
+            {
+
+                if (db == null)
                 {
-                    if (update.StatusChanged != null)
+                    Console.WriteLine("ERROR: PowerSyncDatabase is null!");
+                    throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(db));
+                }
+
+                _db = db;
+                Console.WriteLine("PowerSyncDatabase assigned successfully");
+                _db.RunListener(
+                    (update) =>
                     {
-                        Connected = update.StatusChanged.Connected;
+                        Console.WriteLine(
+                            $"Listener callback triggered: StatusChanged = {update.StatusChanged?.Connected}"
+                        );
+                        if (update.StatusChanged != null)
+                        {
+                            Connected = update.StatusChanged.Connected;
+                        }
                     }
-                }
-            );
+                );
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"ERROR in MainWindowViewModel constructor: {ex}");
+                throw;
+            }
         }
         #endregion
     }
diff --git a/demos/WPF/WPF.csproj b/demos/WPF/WPF.csproj
index 89e7de2..019b0cb 100644
--- a/demos/WPF/WPF.csproj
+++ b/demos/WPF/WPF.csproj
@@ -19,4 +19,10 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <ProjectReference Include="..\..\PowerSync\Powersync.Common\PowerSync.Common.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
+
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <None Update=".env">
+      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+    </None>
+  </ItemGroup>
 </Project>