diff --git a/crates/ascend/src/server.rs b/crates/ascend/src/server.rs
index 5e8958e..3ea039f 100644
--- a/crates/ascend/src/server.rs
+++ b/crates/ascend/src/server.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ pub mod cli {
         ImportMiniMoonboardProblems {
             file_path: PathBuf,
         },
+        // TODO: idempotent state initialization to be used in systemd preStart hook
     }
 }
 
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ fn file_service(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> ServeDir {
 async fn load_state() -> Result<State, Error> {
     tracing::info!("Loading state");
     let state = State {
-        persistent: Persistent::<PersistentState>::load(STATE_FILE.into()).await?,
+        persistent: Persistent::<PersistentState>::load(&Path::new(STATE_FILE)).await?,
     };
     Ok(state)
 }
diff --git a/crates/ascend/src/server/persistence.rs b/crates/ascend/src/server/persistence.rs
index f6869a7..deab2f4 100644
--- a/crates/ascend/src/server/persistence.rs
+++ b/crates/ascend/src/server/persistence.rs
@@ -23,29 +23,25 @@ impl<T> Persistent<T> {
 
     /// Instantiates state from file system
     #[tracing::instrument]
-    pub async fn load(file_path: Utf8PathBuf) -> Result<Self, Error>
+    pub async fn load(file_path: &Path) -> Result<Self, Error>
     where
         T: DeserializeOwned,
     {
-        let file_path = file_path.canonicalize().map_err(|source| Error::BadPath {
-            path: file_path.clone(),
-            source,
-        })?;
-
         let content = tokio::fs::read_to_string(&file_path).await.map_err(|source| Error::Read {
-            file_path: file_path.clone(),
+            file_path: file_path.to_owned(),
             source,
         })?;
 
         let t = ron::from_str(&content).map_err(|source| Error::Deserialize {
-            file_path: file_path.clone(),
+            file_path: file_path.to_owned(),
             source,
         })?;
 
         let persistent = Self {
             state: Arc::new(Mutex::new(t)),
-            file_path,
+            file_path: file_path.to_owned(),
         };
+
         Ok(persistent)
     }
 
@@ -116,9 +112,6 @@ impl<T> Persistent<T> {
 #[derive(Debug, derive_more::Error, derive_more::Display)]
 #[display("Persistent state error: {_variant}")]
 pub enum Error {
-    #[display("Failed to operate on path: {path}")]
-    BadPath { path: Utf8PathBuf, source: std::io::Error },
-
     #[display("Failed to read file: {}", file_path.display())]
     Read { file_path: PathBuf, source: std::io::Error },