diff --git a/changelog.d/19131.misc b/changelog.d/19131.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb1fb8f02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/19131.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Refactor and align app entrypoints (avoid `exit(1)` in our composable functions).
diff --git a/synapse/app/admin_cmd.py b/synapse/app/admin_cmd.py
index dac603de8..193482b7f 100644
--- a/synapse/app/admin_cmd.py
+++ b/synapse/app/admin_cmd.py
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ async def start(admin_command_server: AdminCmdServer, args: argparse.Namespace)
 def main() -> None:
     homeserver_config, args = load_config(sys.argv[1:])
     with LoggingContext(name="main", server_name=homeserver_config.server.server_name):
+        # Initialize and setup the homeserver
         admin_command_server = create_homeserver(homeserver_config)
         setup(admin_command_server)
 
diff --git a/synapse/app/generic_worker.py b/synapse/app/generic_worker.py
index a1dde368d..0a4abd183 100644
--- a/synapse/app/generic_worker.py
+++ b/synapse/app/generic_worker.py
@@ -450,16 +450,21 @@ def main() -> None:
     # Create a logging context as soon as possible so we can start associating
     # everything with this homeserver.
     with LoggingContext(name="main", server_name=homeserver_config.server.server_name):
-        # redirect stdio to the logs, if configured.
-        if not homeserver_config.logging.no_redirect_stdio:
-            redirect_stdio_to_logs()
-
+        # Initialize and setup the homeserver
         hs = create_homeserver(homeserver_config)
         try:
             setup(hs)
         except Exception as e:
             handle_startup_exception(e)
 
+        # For problems immediately apparent during initialization, we want to log to
+        # stderr in the terminal so that they are obvious and visible to the operator.
+        #
+        # Now that we're past the initialization stage, we can redirect anything printed
+        # to stdio to the logs, if configured.
+        if not homeserver_config.logging.no_redirect_stdio:
+            redirect_stdio_to_logs()
+
         # Register a callback to be invoked once the reactor is running
         register_start(hs, start, hs)
 
diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index fb937c63c..bd51aad9a 100644
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -479,16 +479,21 @@ def main() -> None:
     # Create a logging context as soon as possible so we can start associating
     # everything with this homeserver.
     with LoggingContext(name="main", server_name=homeserver_config.server.server_name):
-        # redirect stdio to the logs, if configured.
-        if not homeserver_config.logging.no_redirect_stdio:
-            redirect_stdio_to_logs()
-
+        # Initialize and setup the homeserver
         hs = create_homeserver(homeserver_config)
         try:
             setup(hs)
         except Exception as e:
             handle_startup_exception(e)
 
+        # For problems immediately apparent during initialization, we want to log to
+        # stderr in the terminal so that they are obvious and visible to the operator.
+        #
+        # Now that we're past the initialization stage, we can redirect anything printed
+        # to stdio to the logs, if configured.
+        if not homeserver_config.logging.no_redirect_stdio:
+            redirect_stdio_to_logs()
+
         # Register a callback to be invoked once the reactor is running
         register_start(hs, start, hs)