diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fc5ded3..d379f71 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -46,3 +46,6 @@ prof.mem
 # VSCode files
 /.vscode
 /**/debug
+
+# Goland files
+.idea/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 40e840e..5d9e67a 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func WithKinesis(svc kinesisiface.KinesisAPI) ClientOption {
 	}
 }
 
-// WithStartFrmLatest will make sure the client start consuming
+// WithStartFromLatest will make sure the client start consuming
 // events starting from the most recent event in kinesis. This
 // option discards the checkpoints.
 func WithStartFromLatest() ClientOption {
@@ -30,18 +30,21 @@ func WithStartFromLatest() ClientOption {
 }
 
 // NewKinesisClient returns client to interface with Kinesis stream
-func NewKinesisClient(opts ...ClientOption) *KinesisClient {
+func NewKinesisClient(opts ...ClientOption) (*KinesisClient, error) {
 	kc := &KinesisClient{}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		opt(kc)
 	}
-
+	newSession, err := session.NewSession(aws.NewConfig())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	if kc.svc == nil {
-		kc.svc = kinesis.New(session.New(aws.NewConfig()))
+		kc.svc = kinesis.New(newSession)
 	}
 
-	return kc
+	return kc, nil
 }
 
 // KinesisClient acts as wrapper around Kinesis client
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ func (c *KinesisClient) GetShardIDs(streamName string) ([]string, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("describe stream error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	ss := []string{}
+	var ss []string
 	for _, shard := range resp.StreamDescription.Shards {
 		ss = append(ss, *shard.ShardId)
 	}
diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index 75e685a..2172027 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -87,13 +87,18 @@ func New(streamName string, opts ...Option) (*Consumer, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("must provide stream name")
 	}
 
+	kc, err := NewKinesisClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// new consumer with no-op checkpoint, counter, and logger
 	c := &Consumer{
 		streamName: streamName,
 		checkpoint: &noopCheckpoint{},
 		counter:    &noopCounter{},
 		logger:     NewDefaultLogger(),
-		client:     NewKinesisClient(),
+		client:     kc,
 	}
 
 	// override defaults
@@ -178,8 +183,6 @@ func (c *Consumer) ScanShard(ctx context.Context, shardID string, fn func(*Recor
 	// loop records
 	for r := range recc {
 		scanError := fn(r)
-		// It will be nicer if this can be reported with checkpoint error
-		err = scanError.Error
 
 		// Skip invalid state
 		if scanError.StopScan && scanError.SkipCheckpoint {
diff --git a/consumer_test.go b/consumer_test.go
index 25e8e53..aaddf5c 100644
--- a/consumer_test.go
+++ b/consumer_test.go
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ package consumer
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"log"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
+	"errors"
+
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 )
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestScanShard(t *testing.T) {
 		client:     client,
 		checkpoint: ckp,
 		counter:    ctr,
-		logger:     log.New(ioutil.Discard, "", log.LstdFlags),
+		logger:     NewDefaultLogger(),
 	}
 
 	// callback fn simply appends the record data to result string