diff --git a/pyhdx/config.py b/pyhdx/config.py
index 0794320f..6ddec203 100644
--- a/pyhdx/config.py
+++ b/pyhdx/config.py
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ def assets_dir(self) -> Path:
 
         return assets_dir
 
+    @property
+    def log_dir(self) -> Path:
+        spec_path = self.conf.server.log_dir
+        log_dir = Path(spec_path.replace("~", str(Path().home())))
+
+        return log_dir
+
     @property
     def TORCH_DTYPE(self) -> Union[torch.float64, torch.float32]:
         dtype = self.conf.fitting.dtype
@@ -125,4 +132,4 @@ def valid_config() -> bool:
 
 
 cfg = PyHDXConfig()
-cfg.set_config(conf)
\ No newline at end of file
+cfg.set_config(conf)
diff --git a/pyhdx/config.yaml b/pyhdx/config.yaml
index bf4049c3..0dbb6753 100644
--- a/pyhdx/config.yaml
+++ b/pyhdx/config.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ cluster:
 
 server:
   assets_dir: ~/.pyhdx/assets
+  log_dir: ~/.pyhdx/logs
 
 fitting:
   dtype: float64
@@ -25,4 +26,4 @@ plotting:
   dG_aspect: 2.5
   linear_bars_aspect: 30
   loss_aspect: 2.5
-  rainbowclouds_aspect: 4
\ No newline at end of file
+  rainbowclouds_aspect: 4
diff --git a/pyhdx/local_cluster.py b/pyhdx/local_cluster.py
index e1304446..1608b31f 100644
--- a/pyhdx/local_cluster.py
+++ b/pyhdx/local_cluster.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import asyncio
 import time
 from asyncio import Future
 from typing import Callable, Iterable, Any
 
 from dask.distributed import LocalCluster, Client
+from distributed import connect
 
 from pyhdx.config import cfg
 from pyhdx.support import select_config
@@ -75,12 +77,22 @@ def default_cluster(**kwargs):
 def verify_cluster(scheduler_address, timeout="2s"):
     """Check if a valid dask scheduler is running at the provided scheduler_address"""
     try:
-        client = Client(scheduler_address, timeout=timeout)
+        asyncio.run(connect(scheduler_address, timeout=timeout))
         return True
-    except (TimeoutError, IOError):
+    except (TimeoutError, OSError):
+        return False
+
+
+def verify_cluster_async(scheduler_address, timeout="2s"):
+    """Check if a valid dask scheduler is running at the provided scheduler_address"""
+    try:
+        asyncio.run(connect(scheduler_address, timeout=timeout))
+        return True
+    except (TimeoutError, OSError):
         return False
 
 
+
 def blocking_cluster():
     """Start a dask LocalCluster and block until iterrupted"""
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Start a new Dask local cluster")
diff --git a/pyhdx/web/serve.py b/pyhdx/web/serve.py
index 6bdd0357..2f3e938b 100644
--- a/pyhdx/web/serve.py
+++ b/pyhdx/web/serve.py
@@ -24,17 +24,18 @@ def run_apps():
     np.random.seed(43)
     torch.manual_seed(43)
 
-    scheduler_address = cfg.cluster.scheduler_address
-    if not verify_cluster(scheduler_address):
-        print(
-            f"No valid Dask scheduler found at specified address: '{scheduler_address}'"
-        )
+    # Checking clusters like this interferes with starting the server somehow
+    # scheduler_address = cfg.cluster.scheduler_address
+    # if not verify_cluster(scheduler_address):
+    #     print(
+    #         f"No valid Dask scheduler found at specified address: '{scheduler_address}'"
+    #     )
 
-    log_root_dir = Path.home() / ".pyhdx" / "logs"
+    log_root_dir = cfg.log_dir
     log_dir = log_root_dir / datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d")
     log_dir.mkdir(
         parents=True, exist_ok=True
-    )  # catch error when log dir does not exist
+    )
     root_log = logging.getLogger("pyhdx")
     root_log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)