diff --git a/ext/cache/lib.rs b/ext/cache/lib.rs
index b9cc5427c2..524d4cea05 100644
--- a/ext/cache/lib.rs
+++ b/ext/cache/lib.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ pub enum CacheError {
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
-pub struct CreateCache<C: Cache + 'static>(pub Arc<dyn Fn() -> C>);
+pub struct CreateCache<C: Cache + 'static>(
+  pub Arc<dyn Fn() -> Result<C, CacheError>>,
+);
 
 deno_core::extension!(deno_cache,
   deps = [ deno_webidl, deno_web, deno_url, deno_fetch ],
@@ -231,7 +233,7 @@ where
   if let Some(cache) = state.try_borrow::<CA>() {
     Ok(cache.clone())
   } else if let Some(create_cache) = state.try_borrow::<CreateCache<CA>>() {
-    let cache = create_cache.0();
+    let cache = create_cache.0()?;
     state.put(cache);
     Ok(state.borrow::<CA>().clone())
   } else {
diff --git a/ext/cache/sqlite.rs b/ext/cache/sqlite.rs
index e4991c32f1..6efceda11e 100644
--- a/ext/cache/sqlite.rs
+++ b/ext/cache/sqlite.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ pub struct SqliteBackedCache {
 }
 
 impl SqliteBackedCache {
-  pub fn new(cache_storage_dir: PathBuf) -> Self {
+  pub fn new(cache_storage_dir: PathBuf) -> Result<Self, CacheError> {
     {
       std::fs::create_dir_all(&cache_storage_dir)
         .expect("failed to create cache dir");
@@ -57,18 +57,14 @@ impl SqliteBackedCache {
         PRAGMA synchronous=NORMAL;
         PRAGMA optimize;
       ";
-      connection
-        .execute_batch(initial_pragmas)
-        .expect("failed to execute pragmas");
-      connection
-        .execute(
-          "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS cache_storage (
+      connection.execute_batch(initial_pragmas)?;
+      connection.execute(
+        "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS cache_storage (
                     id              INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
                     cache_name      TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE
                 )",
-          (),
-        )
-        .expect("failed to create cache_storage table");
+        (),
+      )?;
       connection
         .execute(
           "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS request_response_list (
@@ -86,12 +82,11 @@ impl SqliteBackedCache {
                     UNIQUE (cache_id, request_url)
                 )",
           (),
-        )
-        .expect("failed to create request_response_list table");
-      SqliteBackedCache {
+        )?;
+      Ok(SqliteBackedCache {
         connection: Arc::new(Mutex::new(connection)),
         cache_storage_dir,
-      }
+      })
     }
   }
 }