diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Communications/IGridServices.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Communications/IGridServices.cs
index 9e34672462..39f04c3082 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Communications/IGridServices.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Communications/IGridServices.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Communications
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="regionInfos"> </param>
         /// <returns></returns>
+        /// <exception cref="System.Exception">Thrown if region registration failed</exception>
         RegionCommsListener RegisterRegion(RegionInfo regionInfos);
         
         bool DeregisterRegion(RegionInfo regionInfo);
diff --git a/OpenSim/Grid/GridServer/GridManager.cs b/OpenSim/Grid/GridServer/GridManager.cs
index 8ed619ca4e..284ac0c6c0 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Grid/GridServer/GridManager.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Grid/GridServer/GridManager.cs
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Grid.GridServer
                                    " " + sim.regionLocY + " currently occupied by " + existingSim.regionName);
                     }
 
-                    return ErrorResponse("The key required to login your region did not match. Please check your send and receive keys.");
+                    return ErrorResponse("The key required to login your region did not match. Please check your grid send and receive keys.");
                 }
             }
             else
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimMain.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimMain.cs
index d910dc41bc..c7094c79af 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimMain.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimMain.cs
@@ -569,7 +569,18 @@ namespace OpenSim
             //moved these here as the terrain texture has to be created after the modules are initialized
             // and has to happen before the region is registered with the grid. 
             scene.CreateTerrainTexture(true);
-            scene.RegisterRegionWithGrid();
+            
+            try
+            {
+                scene.RegisterRegionWithGrid();
+            }
+            catch (Exception e)
+            {
+                m_log.ErrorFormat("[STARTUP]: Registration of region with grid failed, aborting startup - {0}", e);
+                
+                // Carrying on now causes a lot of confusion down the line - we need to get the user's attention
+                System.Environment.Exit(1);
+            }
             
             // We need to do this after we've initialized the scripting engines.
             scene.StartScripts();
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/ClientStack/RegionApplicationBase.cs b/OpenSim/Region/ClientStack/RegionApplicationBase.cs
index 1dcab20275..5e0e07484b 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/ClientStack/RegionApplicationBase.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/ClientStack/RegionApplicationBase.cs
@@ -129,10 +129,6 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.ClientStack
 
             scene.LoadWorldMap();
 
-            //moved to opensimMain as these have to happen after modules are initialised 
-            // scene.CreateTerrainTexture(true);
-            // scene.RegisterRegionWithGrid();
-
             scene.PhysicsScene = GetPhysicsScene();
             scene.PhysicsScene.SetTerrain(scene.Heightmap.GetFloatsSerialised());
             scene.PhysicsScene.SetWaterLevel(regionInfo.EstateSettings.waterHeight);
@@ -171,4 +167,4 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.ClientStack
         protected abstract Scene CreateScene(RegionInfo regionInfo, StorageManager storageManager,
                                              AgentCircuitManager circuitManager);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Communications/OGS1/OGS1GridServices.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Communications/OGS1/OGS1GridServices.cs
index eada868634..03fd44833a 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Communications/OGS1/OGS1GridServices.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Communications/OGS1/OGS1GridServices.cs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Communications.OGS1
         // see IGridServices
         public RegionCommsListener RegisterRegion(RegionInfo regionInfo)
         {
-            m_log.DebugFormat(
+            m_log.InfoFormat(
                 "[OGS1 GRID SERVICES]: Attempting to register region {0} with grid at {1}", 
                 regionInfo.RegionName, serversInfo.GridURL);
             
@@ -137,14 +137,16 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Communications.OGS1
                 XmlRpcRequest GridReq = new XmlRpcRequest("simulator_login", SendParams);
                 GridResp = GridReq.Send(serversInfo.GridURL, 30000);
             }
-            catch (Exception ex)
+            catch (Exception e)
             {
-                m_log.ErrorFormat(
-                    "[OGS1 GRID SERVICES]: Unable to connect to grid at {0}. Grid server not running?  Exception {1}", 
-                    serversInfo.GridURL, ex);
+                Exception e2 
+                    = new Exception(
+                        String.Format("Unable to connect to grid at {0}. Grid service not running?", serversInfo.GridURL),
+                        e);
                 
-                throw(ex);
+                throw(e2);
             }
+            
             Hashtable GridRespData = (Hashtable)GridResp.Value;
             Hashtable griddatahash = GridRespData;
 
@@ -152,11 +154,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Communications.OGS1
             if (GridRespData.ContainsKey("error"))
             {
                 string errorstring = (string) GridRespData["error"];
-                m_log.ErrorFormat(
-                    "[OGS1 GRID SERVICES]: Unable to connect to grid at {0}: {1}", 
-                    serversInfo.GridURL, errorstring);
                 
-                return null;
+                Exception e = new Exception(String.Format("Unable to connect to grid at {0}: {1}", serversInfo.GridURL, errorstring));
+                
+                throw e;
             }
             else
             {
@@ -292,7 +293,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Communications.OGS1
 
             if (responseData.ContainsKey("error"))
             {
-                Console.WriteLine("error received from grid server" + responseData["error"]);
+                m_log.WarnFormat("[OGS1 GRID SERVICES]: Error received from grid server: {0}", responseData["error"]);
                 return null;
             }
 
@@ -355,7 +356,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Communications.OGS1
 
                     if (responseData.ContainsKey("error"))
                     {
-                        m_log.Error("[OGS1 GRID SERVICES]: Error received from grid server" + responseData["error"]);
+                        m_log.Error("[OGS1 GRID SERVICES]: Error received from grid server: " + responseData["error"]);
                         return null;
                     }
 
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/Scene.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/Scene.cs
index e8a6c45e37..e18c467117 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/Scene.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/Scene.cs
@@ -924,13 +924,20 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Environment.Scenes
             }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Register this region with a grid service
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <exception cref="System.Exception">Thrown if registration of the region itself fails.</exception>
         public void RegisterRegionWithGrid()
         {
             RegisterCommsEvents();
+            
             // These two 'commands' *must be* next to each other or sim rebooting fails.
             m_sceneGridService.RegisterRegion(RegionInfo);
             m_sceneGridService.InformNeighborsThatRegionisUp(RegionInfo);
+            
             Dictionary<string, string> dGridSettings = m_sceneGridService.GetGridSettings();
+            
             if (dGridSettings.ContainsKey("allow_forceful_banlines"))
             {
                 if (dGridSettings["allow_forceful_banlines"] != "TRUE")
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/SceneCommunicationService.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/SceneCommunicationService.cs
index 91bbdb7c77..5ef4a7d9ab 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/SceneCommunicationService.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Scenes/SceneCommunicationService.cs
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Environment.Scenes
             m_commsProvider.InterRegion.rdebugRegionName = _debugRegionName;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Register a region with the grid
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="regionInfos"></param>
+        /// <exception cref="System.Exception">Thrown if region registration fails.</exception>
         public void RegisterRegion(RegionInfo regionInfos)
         {
             m_regionInfo = regionInfos;