diff --git a/pkg/obiformats/ncbitaxdump/read.go b/pkg/obiformats/ncbitaxdump/read.go
index 0df57d2..2e9d5a7 100644
--- a/pkg/obiformats/ncbitaxdump/read.go
+++ b/pkg/obiformats/ncbitaxdump/read.go
@@ -22,9 +22,22 @@ func loadNodeTable(reader io.Reader, taxonomy *obitax.Taxonomy) {
 	file.TrimLeadingSpace = true
 	file.ReuseRecord = true
 
+	n := 0
+
 	for record, err := file.Read(); err == nil; record, err = file.Read() {
-		taxid, _ := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(record[0]))
-		parent, _ := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(record[1]))
+		n++
+		taxid, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(record[0]))
+
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Panicf("Cannot read taxid at line %d: %v", n, err)
+		}
+
+		parent, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(record[1]))
+
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Panicf("Cannot read parent taxid at line %d: %v", n, err)
+		}
+
 		rank := strings.TrimSpace(record[2])
 
 		taxonomy.AddNewTaxa(taxid, parent, rank, true, true)
diff --git a/pkg/obitax/lca.go b/pkg/obitax/lca.go
index f7439e9..7060203 100644
--- a/pkg/obitax/lca.go
+++ b/pkg/obitax/lca.go
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (t1 *TaxNode) LCA(t2 *TaxNode) (*TaxNode, error) {
+	if t1 == nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Try to get LCA of nil taxon")
+	}
+
+	if t2 == nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Try to get LCA of nil taxon")
+	}
+
 	p1, err1 := t1.Path()
 
 	if err1 != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go b/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go
index 64e1541..2f897b6 100644
--- a/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go
+++ b/pkg/obitools/obirefidx/obirefidx.go
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@ func IndexSequence(seqidx int,
 			log.Println(sequence.Id(), tseq.Taxid(), tseq.ScientificName(), tseq.Rank(), nfastok)
 			log.Println(sequence.Id(), tseq.Taxid(), tseq.ScientificName(), tseq.Rank(), nali)
 			log.Println(sequence.Id(), tseq.Taxid(), tseq.ScientificName(), tseq.Rank(), nok)
-	*/return obitag_index
+	*/
+	return obitag_index
 }
 
 func IndexReferenceDB(iterator obiiter.IBioSequence) obiiter.IBioSequence {