diff --git a/packages/api/index.ts b/packages/api/index.ts
index 5fd295f..a6c626a 100644
--- a/packages/api/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/index.ts
@@ -16,10 +16,20 @@ app.use(morgan('combined'));
 app.use(cors());
 app.use(express.json());
 
+app.use((err: Error, req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
+  console.error(err);
+  next(err);
+});
+
+app.use((err: Error, req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
+  res.status(500);
+  res.render('error', { error: err });
+});
+
 app.get('/', (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   res.send('hello world.');
 });
-app.use('/api/status', (req: Request, res: Response) => {
+app.get('/api/status', (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   res.json({ message: 'wohoo, server is healthy' });
 });
 
@@ -28,9 +38,6 @@ const server = app.listen(PORT, () =>
   console.log(`express running on port | ${PORT} in host machine`),
 );
 
-// won't catch any errors here and we don't want it to
-console.log();
-
 const io = require('socket.io')(server, {
   // todo: add authentication
   cors: {
diff --git a/packages/api/nodemon.json b/packages/api/nodemon.json
index c9cfbe1..4d568b9 100644
--- a/packages/api/nodemon.json
+++ b/packages/api/nodemon.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "ignore": ["**/*.test.ts", "**/*.spec.ts", "node_modules"],
-  "watch": ["./", "../common"],
+  "watch": ["./", "../core"],
   "exec": "npm run start:dev",
   "ext": "ts"
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/package.json b/packages/api/package.json
index c50621d..9b70607 100644
--- a/packages/api/package.json
+++ b/packages/api/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "core": "rm -rf ./core && cp -r ../core/src ./core/",
-    "dev": "NODE_ENV=development && yarn core && nodemon",
+    "dev": "NODE_ENV=development nodemon",
     "start:dev": "ts-node index.ts",
     "lint": "eslint --ext .ts,.tsx .",
     "build": "npm run lint && tsc -p .",