diff --git a/src/webqueue2api/__init__.py b/src/webqueue2api/__init__.py
index 96c62be..eb61aa3 100644
--- a/src/webqueue2api/__init__.py
+++ b/src/webqueue2api/__init__.py
@@ -11,12 +11,17 @@
     
     if config_parser.has_section("parser"):
         if config_parser.has_option("parser", "queue_directory"):
-            config.parser.queue_directory = config_parser["parser"]["queue_directory"]
+            queue_directory_from_config_file = Path(config_parser["parser"]["queue_directory"])
+            if not queue_directory_from_config_file.exists():
+                raise ValueError(f"{queue_directory_from_config_file} not found.")
+            config.parser.queue_directory = str(queue_directory_from_config_file.absolute())
+
         if config_parser.has_option("parser", "queues_to_ignore"):
-            config.parser.queues_to_ignore = config_parser["parser"]["queues_to_ignore"]
+            queues_to_ignore_from_config_file = config_parser["parser"]["queues_to_ignore"].split(", ")
+            config.parser.queues_to_ignore = queues_to_ignore_from_config_file
 
     if config_parser.has_section("api"):
         if config_parser.has_option("api", "environment"):
             config.api.environment = config_parser["api"]["environment"]
         if config_parser.has_option("api", "jwt_secret_key"):
-            config.api.jwt_secret_key = config_parser["api"]["jwt_secret_key"] 
\ No newline at end of file
+            config.api.jwt_secret_key = config_parser["api"]["jwt_secret_key"]
\ No newline at end of file