diff --git a/base/commands/migration/migration_start.go b/base/commands/migration/migration_start.go
index 5b430641..68c5bc03 100644
--- a/base/commands/migration/migration_start.go
+++ b/base/commands/migration/migration_start.go
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ Selected data structures in the source cluster will be migrated to the target cl
 	}
 	ec.PrintlnUnnecessary("")
 	mID := MakeMigrationID()
-	sts := NewStartStages(ec.Logger(), mID, ec.GetStringArg(argDMTConfig))
+	sts, err := NewStartStages(ec.Logger(), mID, ec.GetStringArg(argDMTConfig))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	sp := stage.NewFixedProvider(sts.Build(ctx, ec)...)
 	if _, err := stage.Execute(ctx, ec, any(nil), sp); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/base/commands/migration/start_stages.go b/base/commands/migration/start_stages.go
index ce3b089a..d2d1842a 100644
--- a/base/commands/migration/start_stages.go
+++ b/base/commands/migration/start_stages.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package migration
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast-commandline-client/clc/ux/stage"
@@ -23,15 +24,15 @@ type StartStages struct {
 	logger      log.Logger
 }
 
-func NewStartStages(logger log.Logger, migrationID, configDir string) *StartStages {
+func NewStartStages(logger log.Logger, migrationID, configDir string) (*StartStages, error) {
 	if migrationID == "" {
-		panic("migrationID is required")
+		return nil, errors.New("migrationID is required")
 	}
 	return &StartStages{
 		migrationID: migrationID,
 		configDir:   configDir,
 		logger:      logger,
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (st *StartStages) Build(ctx context.Context, ec plug.ExecContext) []stage.Stage[any] {
diff --git a/base/commands/migration/status_stages.go b/base/commands/migration/status_stages.go
index e6d87fc5..fbd29ef0 100644
--- a/base/commands/migration/status_stages.go
+++ b/base/commands/migration/status_stages.go
@@ -54,12 +54,11 @@ func (st *StatusStages) connectStage(ec plug.ExecContext) func(context.Context,
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		if len(all) == 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("there are no migrations are in progress on migration cluster")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("there are no migrations in progress")
 		}
 		var mip MigrationInProgress
 		m := all[0].(serialization.JSON)
-		err = json.Unmarshal(m, &mip)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err = json.Unmarshal(m, &mip); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("parsing migration in progress: %w", err)
 		}
 		st.statusMap, err = st.ci.Client().GetMap(ctx, StatusMapName)
diff --git a/base/commands/migration/status_stages_it_test.go b/base/commands/migration/status_stages_it_test.go
index 715a5b64..a5f7cd85 100644
--- a/base/commands/migration/status_stages_it_test.go
+++ b/base/commands/migration/status_stages_it_test.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func noMigrationsStatusTest(t *testing.T) {
 			execErr = tcx.CLC().Execute(ctx, "status")
 		})
 		wg.Wait()
-		require.Contains(t, execErr.Error(), "there are no migrations are in progress on migration cluster")
+		require.Contains(t, execErr.Error(), "there are no migrations in progress")
 	})
 }