diff --git a/Root/TruthWeightTool.cxx b/Root/TruthWeightTool.cxx
index e17ca1fb89b323f99bc167c329478970336069cb..fc29efbc0a9d583431cc9b7a4cff355afe6f078d 100644
--- a/Root/TruthWeightTool.cxx
+++ b/Root/TruthWeightTool.cxx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace xAOD {
    }
 
    StatusCode TruthWeightTool::initialize() {
-      ATH_MSG_WARNING( "Initialising... " );
+      ATH_MSG_DEBUG( "Initialising... " );
       return StatusCode::SUCCESS;
    }
 
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ namespace xAOD {
       ATH_MSG_DEBUG( "Retrieving truth meta data from a new file" );
       m_metaDataContainer = nullptr;
       ATH_CHECK( inputMetaStore()->retrieve( m_metaDataContainer, m_metaName ) );
+      if (m_metaDataContainer==nullptr) std::runtime_error("Cannot access metadata: "+m_metaName);
       return StatusCode::SUCCESS;
    }
 
diff --git a/test/ath_test_truthWeightTool.cxx b/test/ath_test_truthWeightTool.cxx
index 312dbdddbe5e2f4e0b5c353e8879e6e735dbe1fe..4dead0b74a3420a83409bea472e4cac815fc0919 100644
--- a/test/ath_test_truthWeightTool.cxx
+++ b/test/ath_test_truthWeightTool.cxx
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
   // Create the truth weight tool:
   xAOD::TruthWeightTool weightTool( "TruthWeightTool" );
   weightTool.setProperty( "OutputLevel", MSG::INFO ).ignore();
-  ToolHandle< xAOD::ITruthWeightTool > handle( "TruthWeightTool" );
+
+  // The preferred way to create and configure tools is with a ToolHandle:
+  // constructor argument is: Type/Name
+  ToolHandle< xAOD::ITruthWeightTool > handle( "xAOD::TruthWeightTool/TruthWeightTool" );
   if ( handle.retrieve().isFailure() ) {
     ::Error( APP_NAME, "Could not retrieve TruthWeightTool");
     return 1;