diff --git a/libminifi/include/core/RepositoryFactory.h b/libminifi/include/core/RepositoryFactory.h
index 67c308aefb..4f417f1f3f 100644
--- a/libminifi/include/core/RepositoryFactory.h
+++ b/libminifi/include/core/RepositoryFactory.h
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@ namespace org::apache::nifi::minifi::core {
  * @param configuration_class_name configuration class name
  * @param fail_safe determines whether or not to make the default class if configuration_class_name is invalid
  * @param repo_name name of the repository
+ * @param logger pointer to a logger so it can log out errors
  */
-std::unique_ptr<core::ContentRepository> createContentRepository(const std::string& configuration_class_name, bool fail_safe = false, const std::string& repo_name = "");
+std::unique_ptr<core::ContentRepository> createContentRepository(const std::string& configuration_class_name,
+    const std::string& repo_name = "",
+    logging::Logger* logger = nullptr);
 
 /**
  * Create a repository represented by the configuration class name
diff --git a/libminifi/src/core/RepositoryFactory.cpp b/libminifi/src/core/RepositoryFactory.cpp
index 07aa04883b..a36ec544b0 100644
--- a/libminifi/src/core/RepositoryFactory.cpp
+++ b/libminifi/src/core/RepositoryFactory.cpp
@@ -28,33 +28,31 @@ using namespace std::literals::chrono_literals;
 
 namespace org::apache::nifi::minifi::core {
 
-std::unique_ptr<core::ContentRepository> createContentRepository(const std::string& configuration_class_name, bool fail_safe, const std::string& repo_name) {
+std::unique_ptr<core::ContentRepository> createContentRepository(const std::string& configuration_class_name,
+    const std::string& repo_name,
+    logging::Logger* logger) {
   std::string class_name_lc = configuration_class_name;
   std::transform(class_name_lc.begin(), class_name_lc.end(), class_name_lc.begin(), ::tolower);
-  try {
-    auto return_obj = core::ClassLoader::getDefaultClassLoader().instantiate<core::ContentRepository>(class_name_lc,
-                                                                                                      class_name_lc);
-    if (return_obj) {
-      return_obj->setName(repo_name);
-      return return_obj;
-    }
-    if (class_name_lc == "volatilecontentrepository") {
-      return std::make_unique<core::repository::VolatileContentRepository>(repo_name);
-    } else if (class_name_lc == "filesystemrepository") {
-      return std::make_unique<core::repository::FileSystemRepository>(repo_name);
-    }
-    if (fail_safe) {
-      return std::make_unique<core::repository::VolatileContentRepository>("fail_safe");
-    } else {
-      throw std::runtime_error("Support for the provided configuration class could not be found");
-    }
-  } catch (const std::runtime_error&) {
-    if (fail_safe) {
-      return std::make_unique<core::repository::VolatileContentRepository>("fail_safe");
-    }
+
+  auto return_obj = core::ClassLoader::getDefaultClassLoader().instantiate<core::ContentRepository>(class_name_lc,
+                                                                                                  class_name_lc);
+  if (return_obj) {
+    return_obj->setName(repo_name);
+    return return_obj;
   }
 
-  throw std::runtime_error("Support for the provided configuration class could not be found");
+  if (class_name_lc == "volatilecontentrepository") {
+    return std::make_unique<core::repository::VolatileContentRepository>(repo_name);
+  }
+  if (class_name_lc == "filesystemrepository") {
+    return std::make_unique<core::repository::FileSystemRepository>(repo_name);
+  }
+
+  logger->log_critical("Could not create the configured content repository ({})", configuration_class_name);
+  if (class_name_lc == "databasecontentrepository") {
+    logger->log_error("To use DatabaseContentRepository MiNiFi needs RocksDB extension, please check the extension path configured in minifi.properties");
+  }
+  throw std::runtime_error("Support for the provided configuration class could not be found, check logs for more details");
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<core::Repository> createRepository(const std::string& configuration_class_name, const std::string& repo_name) {
diff --git a/minifi_main/MiNiFiMain.cpp b/minifi_main/MiNiFiMain.cpp
index d6d32a50c8..1476f7709b 100644
--- a/minifi_main/MiNiFiMain.cpp
+++ b/minifi_main/MiNiFiMain.cpp
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
     configure->get(minifi::Configure::nifi_content_repository_class_name, content_repo_class);
 
-    std::shared_ptr<core::ContentRepository> content_repo = core::createContentRepository(content_repo_class, true, "content");
+    std::shared_ptr<core::ContentRepository> content_repo = core::createContentRepository(content_repo_class, "content", logger.get());
 
     if (!content_repo->initialize(configure)) {
       logger->log_error("Content repository failed to initialize, exiting..");