diff --git a/lib/format/pgsql8/diff.go b/lib/format/pgsql8/diff.go
index 381ea20..87e561b 100644
--- a/lib/format/pgsql8/diff.go
+++ b/lib/format/pgsql8/diff.go
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ func (d *diff) updateStructure(stage1 output.OutputFileSegmenter, stage3 output.
 				return err
 			}
 			err = diffSequences(d.Logger(), stage1, oldSchema, newSchema)
-			dbsteward.FatalIfError(err, "while diffing sequences")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while diffing sequences: %w", err)
+			}
 			// remove old constraints before table constraints, so the sql statements succeed
 			err = dropConstraints(d.Logger(), stage1, oldSchema, newSchema, sql99.ConstraintTypeConstraint)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -208,9 +210,13 @@ func (d *diff) updateStructure(stage1 output.OutputFileSegmenter, stage3 output.
 			}
 			dropTables(stage1, oldSchema, newSchema)
 			err = createTables(d.Logger(), stage1, oldSchema, newSchema)
-			dbsteward.FatalIfError(err, "while creating tables")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while creating tables: %w", err)
+			}
 			err = diffTables(d.Logger(), stage1, stage3, oldSchema, newSchema)
-			dbsteward.FatalIfError(err, "while diffing tables")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while diffing tables: %w", err)
+			}
 			err = diffIndexes(stage1, oldSchema, newSchema)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -284,7 +290,9 @@ func (d *diff) updateStructure(stage1 output.OutputFileSegmenter, stage3 output.
 			// see below for post table creation stuff
 			if !processedSchemas[newSchema.Name] {
 				err := diffSequences(d.Logger(), stage1, oldSchema, newSchema)
-				lib.GlobalDBSteward.FatalIfError(err, "while diffing sequences")
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("while diffing sequences: %w", err)
+				}
 				processedSchemas[newSchema.Name] = true
 			}
 
@@ -300,11 +308,17 @@ func (d *diff) updateStructure(stage1 output.OutputFileSegmenter, stage3 output.
 			// GlobalDBX.RenamedTableCheckPointer() will modify these pointers to be the old table
 			var err error
 			oldSchema, oldTable, err = lib.GlobalDBSteward.OldDatabase.NewTableName(oldSchema, oldTable, newSchema, newTable)
-			lib.GlobalDBSteward.FatalIfError(err, "getting new table name")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("getting new table name: %w", err)
+			}
 			err = createTable(d.Logger(), stage1, oldSchema, newSchema, newTable)
-			lib.GlobalDBSteward.FatalIfError(err, "while creating table %s.%s", newSchema.Name, newTable.Name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while creating table %s.%s: %w", newSchema.Name, newTable.Name, err)
+			}
 			err = diffTable(d.Logger(), stage1, stage3, oldSchema, oldTable, newSchema, newTable)
-			lib.GlobalDBSteward.FatalIfError(err, "while diffing table %s.%s", newSchema.Name, newTable.Name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while diffing table %s.%s: %w", newSchema.Name, newTable.Name, err)
+			}
 			err = diffIndexesTable(stage1, oldSchema, oldTable, newSchema, newTable)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -363,7 +377,9 @@ func (d *diff) updatePermissions(stage1 output.OutputFileSegmenter, stage3 outpu
 		for _, newTable := range newSchema.Tables {
 			oldTable := oldSchema.TryGetTableNamed(newTable.Name)
 			isRenamed, err := lib.GlobalDBSteward.OldDatabase.IsRenamedTable(slog.Default(), newSchema, newTable)
-			lib.GlobalDBSteward.FatalIfError(err, "while updating permissions")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while updating permissions: %w", err)
+			}
 			if isRenamed {
 				// skip permission diffing on it, it is the same
 				// TODO(feat) that seems unlikely? we should probably check permissions on renamed table
@@ -437,7 +453,9 @@ func (d *diff) updateData(l *slog.Logger, ofs output.OutputFileSegmenter, delete
 			oldTable := oldSchema.TryGetTableNamed(newTable.Name)
 
 			isRenamed, err := lib.GlobalDBSteward.OldDatabase.IsRenamedTable(slog.Default(), newSchema, newTable)
-			lib.GlobalDBSteward.FatalIfError(err, "while updating data")
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("while updatign data: %w", err)
+			}
 			if isRenamed {
 				d.Logger().Info(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s used to be called %s - will diff data against that definition", newSchema.Name, newTable.Name, newTable.OldTableName))
 				oldSchema = lib.GlobalDBSteward.OldDatabase.GetOldTableSchema(newSchema, newTable)