diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/io/PersistentExtendedBlockingQueueFactory.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/io/PersistentExtendedBlockingQueueFactory.java
index e49491accf5734984ed725e0373df31bb5530473..34f0ae9e6871c0a4391a274a8990ea3b4db9c410 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/io/PersistentExtendedBlockingQueueFactory.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/io/PersistentExtendedBlockingQueueFactory.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
 
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.collection.ExtendedLinkedBlockingQueue;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.collection.IExtendedBlockingQueue;
+import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.exceptions.EnvironmentFailureException;
 
 /**
  * A factory class for {@link IExtendedBlockingQueue}s.
@@ -57,7 +58,13 @@ public class PersistentExtendedBlockingQueueFactory
     public static <E extends Serializable> PersistentExtendedBlockingQueueDecorator<E> createSmartPersist(
             File queueFile)
     {
-        return createSmartQueue(queueFile, false);
+        try
+        {
+            return createSmartQueue(queueFile, false);
+        } catch (Exception rex)
+        {
+            throw new EnvironmentFailureException("Could not create/restore queue file " + queueFile.getAbsolutePath(), rex);
+        }
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/shared/basic/string/StringUtils.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/shared/basic/string/StringUtils.java
index ce03c8242071be1f128ff8d0ede3b0272626b46b..5efa244470d22427ca39028fa78a6c50730cf837 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/shared/basic/string/StringUtils.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/shared/basic/string/StringUtils.java
@@ -69,12 +69,21 @@ public final class StringUtils
      * Example: "a", "b", "c" -> "a, b, c"
      */
     public final static String joinList(final List<String> list)
+    {
+        return joinList(list, ",");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Joins the elements using comma as a separator. <br>
+     * Example: "a", "b", "c" -> "a, b, c"
+     */
+    public final static String joinList(final List<String> list, String separator)
     {
         if (list == null)
         {
             return null;
         }
-        return join(list.toArray(new String[0]), ",");
+        return join(list.toArray(new String[0]), separator);
     }
 
     /**