diff --git a/lib/next_ls.ex b/lib/next_ls.ex
index 52115e5f..b326e066 100644
--- a/lib/next_ls.ex
+++ b/lib/next_ls.ex
@@ -96,26 +96,34 @@ defmodule NextLS do
 
   def handle_request(%TextDocumentFormatting{params: %{text_document: %{uri: uri}}}, lsp) do
     document = lsp.assigns.documents[uri]
-
-    {formatter, _} = Runtime.call(lsp.assigns.runtime, {Mix.Tasks.Format, :formatter_for_file, [".formatter.exs"]})
-
-    new_document =
-      Runtime.call(lsp.assigns.runtime, {Kernel, :apply, [formatter, [Enum.join(document, "\n")]]})
-      |> IO.iodata_to_binary()
-
-    {:reply,
-     [
-       %TextEdit{
-         new_text: new_document,
-         range: %Range{
-           start: %Position{line: 0, character: 0},
-           end: %Position{
-             line: length(document),
-             character: document |> List.last() |> String.length() |> Kernel.-(1) |> max(0)
+    runtime = lsp.assigns.runtime
+
+    with {:ok, {formatter, _}} <- Runtime.call(runtime, {Mix.Tasks.Format, :formatter_for_file, [".formatter.exs"]}),
+         {:ok, response} <- Runtime.call(runtime, {Kernel, :apply, [formatter, [Enum.join(document, "\n")]]}) do
+      {:reply,
+       [
+         %TextEdit{
+           new_text: IO.iodata_to_binary(response),
+           range: %Range{
+             start: %Position{line: 0, character: 0},
+             end: %Position{
+               line: length(document),
+               character: document |> List.last() |> String.length() |> Kernel.-(1) |> max(0)
+             }
            }
          }
-       }
-     ], lsp}
+       ], lsp}
+    else
+      {:error, :not_ready} ->
+        GenLSP.notify(lsp, %GenLSP.Notifications.WindowShowMessage{
+          params: %GenLSP.Structures.ShowMessageParams{
+            type: GenLSP.Enumerations.MessageType.info(),
+            message: "The NextLS runtime is still initializing!"
+          }
+        })
+
+        {:reply, nil, lsp}
+    end
   end
 
   def handle_request(%Shutdown{}, lsp) do
diff --git a/lib/next_ls/runtime.ex b/lib/next_ls/runtime.ex
index a613879b..e08499dd 100644
--- a/lib/next_ls/runtime.ex
+++ b/lib/next_ls/runtime.ex
@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ defmodule NextLS.Runtime do
 
   def handle_call({:call, {m, f, a}}, _from, %{node: node} = state) do
     reply = :rpc.call(node, m, f, a)
-    {:reply, reply, state}
+    {:reply, {:ok, reply}, state}
+  end
+
+  def handle_call({:call, _}, _from, state) do
+    {:reply, {:error, :not_ready}, state}
   end
 
   def handle_call(:compile, _, %{node: node} = state) do
diff --git a/test/next_ls/runtime_test.exs b/test/next_ls/runtime_test.exs
index 7dc54d4c..962744ba 100644
--- a/test/next_ls/runtime_test.exs
+++ b/test/next_ls/runtime_test.exs
@@ -28,6 +28,26 @@ defmodule NextLs.RuntimeTest do
     [logger: logger, cwd: Path.absname(tmp_dir)]
   end
 
+  test "returns the response in an ok tuple", %{logger: logger, cwd: cwd} do
+    start_supervised!({Registry, keys: :unique, name: RuntimeTestRegistry})
+    pid = start_supervised!({Runtime, working_dir: cwd, parent: logger, extension_registry: RuntimeTestRegistry})
+
+    Process.link(pid)
+
+    assert wait_for_ready(pid)
+
+    assert {:ok, "\"hi\""} = Runtime.call(pid, {Kernel, :inspect, ["hi"]})
+  end
+
+  test "call returns an error when the runtime is node ready", %{logger: logger, cwd: cwd} do
+    start_supervised!({Registry, keys: :unique, name: RuntimeTestRegistry})
+    pid = start_supervised!({Runtime, working_dir: cwd, parent: logger, extension_registry: RuntimeTestRegistry})
+
+    Process.link(pid)
+
+    assert {:error, :not_ready} = Runtime.call(pid, {IO, :puts, ["hi"]})
+  end
+
   test "compiles the code and returns diagnostics", %{logger: logger, cwd: cwd} do
     start_supervised!({Registry, keys: :unique, name: RuntimeTestRegistry})
 
diff --git a/test/next_ls_test.exs b/test/next_ls_test.exs
index db6f9c43..bda2c1d9 100644
--- a/test/next_ls_test.exs
+++ b/test/next_ls_test.exs
@@ -190,9 +190,6 @@ defmodule NextLSTest do
                params: %{}
              })
 
-    assert_notification "window/logMessage",
-                        %{"message" => "[NextLS] Runtime ready..."}
-
     notify client, %{
       method: "textDocument/didOpen",
       jsonrpc: "2.0",
@@ -229,6 +226,26 @@ defmodule NextLSTest do
       }
     }
 
+    assert_result 2, nil
+
+    assert_notification "window/logMessage",
+                        %{"message" => "[NextLS] Runtime ready..."}
+
+    request client, %{
+      method: "textDocument/formatting",
+      id: 3,
+      jsonrpc: "2.0",
+      params: %{
+        textDocument: %{
+          uri: "file://lib/foo/bar.ex"
+        },
+        options: %{
+          insertSpaces: true,
+          tabSize: 2
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
     new_text = """
     defmodule Foo.Bar do
       def run() do
@@ -238,14 +255,11 @@ defmodule NextLSTest do
     """
 
     assert_result(
-      2,
+      3,
       [
         %{
           "newText" => ^new_text,
-          "range" => %{
-            "start" => %{"character" => 0, "line" => 0},
-            "end" => %{"character" => 0, "line" => 8}
-          }
+          "range" => %{"start" => %{"character" => 0, "line" => 0}, "end" => %{"character" => 0, "line" => 8}}
         }
       ]
     )