diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 4968f38..baa7346 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -31,7 +31,21 @@ try {
     profanityFilter = new ProfanityFilter();
     console.log('Profanity filter initialized successfully with separate database');
 } catch (error) {
-    console.error('Error initializing profanity filter:', error);
+    console.error('WARNING: Failed to initialize profanity filter:', error);
+    console.error('Creating fallback no-op profanity filter. ALL CONTENT WILL BE ALLOWED!');
+    console.error('This is a security risk - please fix the profanity filter configuration.');
+    
+    // Create a fallback no-op profanity filter
+    profanityFilter = {
+        checkText: () => ({ isProfane: false, reason: null }),
+        addWord: () => Promise.resolve({ success: false, error: 'Profanity filter not available' }),
+        removeWord: () => Promise.resolve({ success: false, error: 'Profanity filter not available' }),
+        getWords: () => Promise.resolve([]),
+        testText: () => Promise.resolve({ isProfane: false, detectedWords: [], filteredText: '' }),
+        close: () => {}
+    };
+    
+    console.warn('⚠️  SECURITY WARNING: Profanity filtering is DISABLED due to initialization failure!');
 }
 
 // Initialize database
@@ -121,6 +135,13 @@ function setupRoutes() {
     });
 }
 
+// Validate profanity filter is properly initialized before setting up routes
+if (!profanityFilter) {
+    console.error('CRITICAL ERROR: profanityFilter is undefined after initialization attempt.');
+    console.error('Cannot start server without a functional profanity filter.');
+    process.exit(1);
+}
+
 // Initialize routes after everything is set up
 setupRoutes();
 
@@ -138,9 +159,13 @@ process.on('SIGINT', () => {
     console.log('\nShutting down server...');
     
     // Close profanity filter database first
-    if (profanityFilter) {
-        profanityFilter.close();
-        console.log('Profanity filter database closed.');
+    if (profanityFilter && typeof profanityFilter.close === 'function') {
+        try {
+            profanityFilter.close();
+            console.log('Profanity filter database closed.');
+        } catch (error) {
+            console.error('Error closing profanity filter:', error);
+        }
     }
     
     // Close main database