diff --git a/lib/router.js b/lib/router.js
index 02243f1d94..c7bc8f2213 100644
--- a/lib/router.js
+++ b/lib/router.js
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 // LICENCE https://github.com/adaptlearning/adapt_authoring/blob/master/LICENSE
-/**
- * Module used to set up routes
- *
- * @module lib/routes
- */
-
+var _ = require('underscore');
+var async = require('async');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
+
 var configuration = require('./configuration');
-var _ = require('underscore');
+var logger = require('./logger');
 
 /*
  * CONSTANTS
@@ -28,11 +25,25 @@ function Router (options) {
 
 Router.prototype.init = function (app) {
   var basePath = this.options.path;
-  var routes = fs.readdirSync(basePath);
   var server = app.server;
-  routes.forEach (function (routePath) {
-    var route = require(path.join(basePath, routePath));
-    server.use(route);
+  fs.readdir(basePath, function(error, contents) {
+    if(error) {
+      logger.log('error', error);
+      return;
+    }
+    async.each(contents, function(item, cb) {
+      var itemPath = path.join(basePath, item);
+      if(!fs.statSync(itemPath).isDirectory()) {
+        return;
+      }
+      try {
+        var route = require(itemPath);
+        server.use(route);
+      } catch(e) {
+        var detail = (e.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') ? ', no index.js found' : ` (${e})`;
+        logger.log('error', `Cannot load routes/${item}${detail}`);
+      }
+    });
   });
 };