diff --git a/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/ConfigProviderFeature.cs b/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/ConfigProviderFeature.cs
index bceceaf7..61ab95f9 100644
--- a/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/ConfigProviderFeature.cs
+++ b/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/ConfigProviderFeature.cs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ namespace IPA.Loader.Features
         private class DataModel
         {
             [JsonProperty("type", Required = Required.Always)]
-            public string TypeName;
+            public string TypeName = "";
         }
 
         protected override bool Initialize(PluginMetadata meta, JObject featureData)
diff --git a/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/DefineFeature.cs b/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/DefineFeature.cs
index 1b08bfa5..9cba0a8c 100644
--- a/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/DefineFeature.cs
+++ b/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/DefineFeature.cs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace IPA.Loader.Features
         private class DataModel
         {
             [JsonProperty("type", Required = Required.Always)]
-            public string TypeName;
+            public string TypeName = "";
             [JsonProperty("name", Required = Required.DisallowNull)]
             public string ActualName = null;
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace IPA.Loader.Features
             return PreregisterFeature(meta, data.Name);
         }
 
-        public override void AfterInit(PluginMetadata meta, object pluginInstance)
+        public override void BeforeInit(PluginMetadata meta)
         {
             Logger.features.Debug("Executing DefineFeature AfterInit");
 
diff --git a/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/Feature.cs b/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/Feature.cs
index b2c37052..df70401e 100644
--- a/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/Feature.cs
+++ b/IPA.Loader/Loader/Features/Feature.cs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace IPA.Loader.Features
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="plugin">the plugin to be initialized</param>
         /// <returns>whether or not to call the Init method</returns>
-        public virtual bool BeforeInit(PluginMetadata plugin) => true;
+        public virtual void BeforeInit(PluginMetadata plugin) { }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Called after a plugin has been fully initialized, whether or not there is an `Init` method. This should never throw an exception.
diff --git a/IPA.Loader/Loader/PluginLoader.cs b/IPA.Loader/Loader/PluginLoader.cs
index cbec90b8..95038cfb 100644
--- a/IPA.Loader/Loader/PluginLoader.cs
+++ b/IPA.Loader/Loader/PluginLoader.cs
@@ -812,15 +812,14 @@ namespace IPA.Loader
 
             foreach (var feature in meta.Features)
             {
-                if (!feature.BeforeInit(meta))
+                try
                 {
-                    Logger.loader.Warn(
-                        $"Feature {feature?.FeatureName} denied plugin {meta.Name} from initializing! {feature?.InvalidMessage}");
-                    ignoredPlugins.Add(meta, new IgnoreReason(Reason.Feature)
-                    {
-                        ReasonText = $"Denied in {nameof(Feature.BeforeInit)} of feature {feature?.FeatureName}:\n\t{feature?.InvalidMessage}"
-                    });
-                    return null;
+                    feature.BeforeInit(meta);
+                }
+                catch (Exception e)
+                {
+                    Logger.loader.Critical($"Feature errored in {nameof(Feature.BeforeInit)}:");
+                    Logger.loader.Critical(e);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -862,7 +861,8 @@ namespace IPA.Loader
                 }
                 catch (Exception e)
                 {
-                    Logger.loader.Critical($"Feature errored in {nameof(Feature.AfterInit)}: {e}");
+                    Logger.loader.Critical($"Feature errored in {nameof(Feature.AfterInit)}:");
+                    Logger.loader.Critical(e);
                 }
 
             return exec;