diff --git a/src/core/cartridge/backup/eeprom.rs b/src/core/cartridge/backup/eeprom.rs
index 62eba1d..d199bea 100644
--- a/src/core/cartridge/backup/eeprom.rs
+++ b/src/core/cartridge/backup/eeprom.rs
@@ -287,21 +287,23 @@ pub struct EepromController {
 impl EepromController {
     pub fn new(path: Option<PathBuf>) -> EepromController {
         let mut detect = true;
-
-        let eeprom_type = if let Some(path) = &path {
-            let metadata = fs::metadata(&path).unwrap();
-            let human_size = bytesize::ByteSize::b(metadata.len());
-            let eeprom_type = match metadata.len() {
-                512 => EepromType::Eeprom512,
-                8192 => EepromType::Eeprom8k,
-                _ => panic!("invalid file size ({}) for eeprom save", human_size),
-            };
-            detect = false;
-            info!("save file is size {}, assuming eeprom type is {:?}", human_size, eeprom_type);
-            eeprom_type
-        } else {
-            EepromType::Eeprom512
-        };
+        let mut eeprom_type = EepromType::Eeprom512;
+        if let Some(path) = &path {
+            if let Ok(metadata) = fs::metadata(&path) {
+                let human_size = bytesize::ByteSize::b(metadata.len());
+                let assumed_type = match metadata.len() {
+                    512 => EepromType::Eeprom512,
+                    8192 => EepromType::Eeprom8k,
+                    _ => panic!("invalid file size ({}) for eeprom save", human_size),
+                };
+                detect = false;
+                info!(
+                    "save file is size {}, assuming eeprom type is {:?}",
+                    human_size, assumed_type
+                );
+                eeprom_type = assumed_type;
+            }
+        }
 
         let mut result = EepromController::new_with_type(path, eeprom_type);
         result.detect = detect;
diff --git a/src/core/cartridge/builder.rs b/src/core/cartridge/builder.rs
index 63067ad..d3eaa52 100644
--- a/src/core/cartridge/builder.rs
+++ b/src/core/cartridge/builder.rs
@@ -94,10 +94,12 @@ impl GamepakBuilder {
         }
 
         if self.save_type == BackupType::AutoDetect {
-            let detected = detect_backup_type(&bytes)?;
-            info!("Detected Backup: {:?}", detected);
-
-            self.save_type = detected;
+            if let Some(detected) = detect_backup_type(&bytes) {
+                info!("Detected Backup: {:?}", detected);
+                self.save_type = detected;
+            } else {
+                warn!("could not detect backup save type");
+            }
         }
 
         let backup = create_backup(self.save_type, self.path);
@@ -126,25 +128,22 @@ fn create_backup(backup_type: BackupType, rom_path: Option<PathBuf>) -> BackupMe
         BackupType::Flash1M => BackupMedia::Flash(Flash::new(backup_path, FlashSize::Flash128k)),
         BackupType::Sram => BackupMedia::Sram(BackupFile::new(0x8000, backup_path)),
         BackupType::Eeprom => BackupMedia::Eeprom(EepromController::new(backup_path)),
-        BackupType::AutoDetect => panic!("called create_backup with backup_type==AutoDetect"),
+        BackupType::AutoDetect => BackupMedia::Undetected,
     }
 }
 
-fn detect_backup_type(bytes: &[u8]) -> GBAResult<BackupType> {
+fn detect_backup_type(bytes: &[u8]) -> Option<BackupType> {
     const ID_STRINGS: &'static [&'static str] =
         &["EEPROM", "SRAM", "FLASH_", "FLASH512_", "FLASH1M_"];
 
     for i in 0..5 {
         let search = TwoWaySearcher::new(ID_STRINGS[i].as_bytes());
         match search.search_in(bytes) {
-            Some(_) => return Ok(BackupType::from_u8(i as u8).unwrap()),
+            Some(_) => return Some(BackupType::from_u8(i as u8).unwrap()),
             _ => {}
         }
     }
-    warn!("could not detect backup save type");
-    return Err(GBAError::CartridgeLoadError(
-        "could not detect backup save type".to_string(),
-    ));
+    None
 }
 
 fn load_rom(path: &Path) -> GBAResult<Vec<u8>> {