diff --git a/src/search.rs b/src/search.rs
index f05d61d..12480e5 100644
--- a/src/search.rs
+++ b/src/search.rs
@@ -50,19 +50,21 @@ impl Rustysearch {
     /// If the stats do not exist, it makes returns data with the current
     /// version of ``rustysearch`` & zero docs (used in scoring).
     ///
-    pub fn read_stats(&self) -> Stats {
+    pub fn read_stats(&self) -> std::io::Result<Stats> {
+        let mut stats: Stats;
+
         if !Path::new(&self.stats_path).exists() {
-            let stats = Stats {
+            stats = Stats {
                 version: String::from("0.1.0"),
                 total_docs: 0,
             };
-            return stats;
+        } else {
+            // Read the stats file
+            let stats_json = fs::read_to_string(&self.stats_path).expect("Unable to read stats");
+            stats = serde_json::from_str(&stats_json).unwrap();
         }
 
-        // Read the stats file
-        let stats_json = fs::read_to_string(&self.stats_path).expect("Unable to read stats");
-        let stats: Stats = serde_json::from_str(&stats_json).unwrap();
-        return stats;
+        Ok(stats)
     }
 
     /// **Writes the index-wide stats**
@@ -75,10 +77,11 @@ impl Rustysearch {
     ///        'total_docs': 25,
     ///    }
     /// 
-    pub fn write_stats(&self, new_stats: Stats) {
+    pub fn write_stats(&self, new_stats: Stats) -> std::io::Result<()> {
         // Write new_stats as json to stats_path
         let new_stats_json = serde_json::to_string(&new_stats).unwrap();
-        fs::write(&self.stats_path, new_stats_json).expect("Unable to write stats");
+        fs::write(&self.stats_path, new_stats_json)?;
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     /// **Increments the total number of documents the index is aware of**
@@ -87,15 +90,15 @@ impl Rustysearch {
     /// of the indexing process.
     /// 
     pub fn increment_total_docs(&self) {
-        let mut current_stats = self.read_stats();
+        let mut current_stats = self.read_stats().unwrap();
         current_stats.total_docs += 1;
-        self.write_stats(current_stats);
+        self.write_stats(current_stats).unwrap();
     }
 
     /// Returns the total number of documents the index is aware of
     /// 
     pub fn get_total_docs(&self) -> i32 {
-        let stats = self.read_stats();
+        let stats = self.read_stats().unwrap();
         return stats.total_docs;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/rustysearch.rs b/tests/rustysearch.rs
index 3b7596a..1e6ce01 100644
--- a/tests/rustysearch.rs
+++ b/tests/rustysearch.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    use std::{thread::{self}, time::{self, Duration}};
     use rustysearch::{types::Stats, search::Rustysearch};
 
+    const TEN_MILLIS: Duration = time::Duration::from_millis(100);
+
     #[test]
     fn test_write_new_stats(){
         let stats = Stats{
@@ -15,7 +18,8 @@ mod tests {
         let search = Rustysearch::new("/tmp/rustysearch");
         search.setup();
 
-        search.write_stats(stats);
+        search.write_stats(stats).unwrap();
+        thread::sleep(TEN_MILLIS);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -25,9 +29,10 @@ mod tests {
 
         clean_stats();
 
-        let stats = search.read_stats();
+        let stats = search.read_stats().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(stats.version, "0.1.0");
         assert_eq!(stats.total_docs, 0);
+        thread::sleep(TEN_MILLIS);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -37,12 +42,13 @@ mod tests {
 
         clean_stats();
 
-        let stats = search.read_stats();
+        let stats = search.read_stats().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(stats.total_docs, 0);
 
         search.increment_total_docs();
-        let stats = search.read_stats();
+        let stats = search.read_stats().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(stats.total_docs, 1);
+        thread::sleep(TEN_MILLIS);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -52,15 +58,16 @@ mod tests {
 
         clean_stats();
 
-        let stats = search.read_stats();
+        let stats = search.read_stats().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(stats.total_docs, 0);
 
         search.increment_total_docs();
-        let stats = search.read_stats();
+        let stats = search.read_stats().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(stats.total_docs, 1);
 
         let total_docs = search.get_total_docs();
         assert_eq!(total_docs, 1);
+        thread::sleep(TEN_MILLIS);
     }
 
     fn clean_stats(){
@@ -71,6 +78,7 @@ mod tests {
             version: String::from("0.1.0"),
             total_docs: 0,
         };
-        search.write_stats(new_stats);
+        search.write_stats(new_stats).unwrap();
+        thread::sleep(TEN_MILLIS);
     }
 }
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