diff --git a/src/handler_types.rs b/src/handler_types.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b77c10c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/handler_types.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+//! Handler-specific types that guarantee correctness
+
+use crate::adapters::{HandlebarsAdapter, NginxVariableResolver, SqliteQueryExecutor};
+use crate::config::{MainConfig, ModuleConfig};
+use crate::domain::{RequestProcessor, ValidatedConfig};
+use crate::nginx_helpers::{get_doc_root_and_uri, send_response};
+use crate::parsing;
+use crate::{domain, Module};
+use ngx::core::Status;
+use ngx::http::{HttpModuleLocationConf, HttpModuleMainConf};
+use ngx::ngx_log_debug_http;
+
+/// Proof that we have valid configuration (Ghost of Departed Proofs)
+pub struct ValidConfigToken<'a> {
+    config: &'a ModuleConfig,
+}
+
+impl<'a> ValidConfigToken<'a> {
+    /// Try to create a token - returns None if config is invalid
+    pub fn new(config: &'a ModuleConfig) -> Option<Self> {
+        if config.db_path.is_empty() || config.query.is_empty() || config.template_path.is_empty() {
+            return None;
+        }
+        Some(ValidConfigToken { config })
+    }
+
+    pub fn get(&self) -> &ModuleConfig {
+        self.config
+    }
+}
+
+/// Process a request with guaranteed valid configuration
+/// Returns Status directly - no Result needed, types prove correctness
+pub fn process_request(
+    request: &mut ngx::http::Request,
+    config: ValidConfigToken,
+) -> Status {
+    // Parse config into validated types
+    // If this fails, it's a programming error (config should be valid per token)
+    let validated_config = match parsing::parse_config(config.get()) {
+        Ok(c) => c,
+        Err(e) => {
+            ngx_log_debug_http!(request, "unexpected parse error: {}", e);
+            return ngx::http::HTTPStatus::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR.into();
+        }
+    };
+
+    // Get nginx paths - can fail due to nginx state, not our logic
+    let (doc_root, uri) = match get_doc_root_and_uri(request) {
+        Ok(paths) => paths,
+        Err(e) => {
+            ngx_log_debug_http!(request, "nginx path error: {}", e);
+            return ngx::http::HTTPStatus::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR.into();
+        }
+    };
+
+    // Pure function - cannot fail
+    let resolved_template = domain::resolve_template_path(&doc_root, &uri, &validated_config.template_path);
+
+    // Resolve parameters - can fail if nginx variable doesn't exist
+    let var_resolver = NginxVariableResolver::new(request);
+    let resolved_params = match domain::resolve_parameters(&validated_config.parameters, &var_resolver) {
+        Ok(params) => params,
+        Err(e) => {
+            ngx_log_debug_http!(request, "parameter error: {}", e);
+            return ngx::http::HTTPStatus::BAD_REQUEST.into();
+        }
+    };
+
+    // Create processor and run - uses dependency injection
+    let html = execute_with_processor(&validated_config, &resolved_template, &resolved_params, request);
+    
+    // Send response - proven correct by types
+    send_response(request, &html)
+}
+
+/// Execute query and render with proper dependency injection
+fn execute_with_processor(
+    config: &ValidatedConfig,
+    resolved_template: &domain::ResolvedTemplate,
+    resolved_params: &[(String, String)],
+    request: &mut ngx::http::Request,
+) -> String {
+    let mut reg = handlebars::Handlebars::new();
+    let reg_ptr: *mut handlebars::Handlebars<'static> = unsafe { std::mem::transmute(&mut reg) };
+    let hbs_adapter = unsafe { HandlebarsAdapter::new(reg_ptr) };
+    
+    let processor = RequestProcessor::new(
+        SqliteQueryExecutor,
+        hbs_adapter,
+        hbs_adapter,
+    );
+
+    let main_conf = Module::main_conf(request).expect("main config is none");
+    let global_dir = if !main_conf.global_templates_dir.is_empty() {
+        Some(main_conf.global_templates_dir.as_str())
+    } else {
+        None
+    };
+
+    // If processor fails, return error HTML instead of panicking
+    processor
+        .process(config, resolved_template, resolved_params, global_dir)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            format!(
+                "<html><body><h1>Error</h1><pre>{}</pre></body></html>",
+                e
+            )
+        })
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_valid_config_token_accepts_valid() {
+        let config = ModuleConfig {
+            db_path: "test.db".to_string(),
+            query: "SELECT * FROM test".to_string(),
+            template_path: "test.hbs".to_string(),
+            query_params: vec![],
+        };
+
+        let token = ValidConfigToken::new(&config);
+        assert!(token.is_some());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_valid_config_token_rejects_empty_db() {
+        let config = ModuleConfig {
+            db_path: String::new(),
+            query: "SELECT * FROM test".to_string(),
+            template_path: "test.hbs".to_string(),
+            query_params: vec![],
+        };
+
+        let token = ValidConfigToken::new(&config);
+        assert!(token.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_valid_config_token_rejects_empty_query() {
+        let config = ModuleConfig {
+            db_path: "test.db".to_string(),
+            query: String::new(),
+            template_path: "test.hbs".to_string(),
+            query_params: vec![],
+        };
+
+        let token = ValidConfigToken::new(&config);
+        assert!(token.is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_valid_config_token_rejects_empty_template() {
+        let config = ModuleConfig {
+            db_path: "test.db".to_string(),
+            query: "SELECT * FROM test".to_string(),
+            template_path: String::new(),
+            query_params: vec![],
+        };
+
+        let token = ValidConfigToken::new(&config);
+        assert!(token.is_none());
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d56209b..a439405 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 mod adapters;
 mod config;
 mod domain;
+mod handler_types;
 mod nginx_helpers;
 mod parsing;
 mod query;
@@ -10,17 +11,15 @@ mod template;
 mod types;
 mod variable;
 
-use adapters::{HandlebarsAdapter, NginxVariableResolver, SqliteQueryExecutor};
 use config::{MainConfig, ModuleConfig};
-use domain::RequestProcessor;
-use nginx_helpers::{get_doc_root_and_uri, log_error, send_response};
+use handler_types::{process_request, ValidConfigToken};
 use ngx::ffi::{
     NGX_CONF_TAKE1, NGX_CONF_TAKE2, NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF, NGX_HTTP_MAIN_CONF, NGX_HTTP_MODULE,
     NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF_OFFSET, NGX_RS_MODULE_SIGNATURE, nginx_version, ngx_command_t, ngx_conf_t,
     ngx_http_module_t, ngx_int_t, ngx_module_t, ngx_str_t, ngx_uint_t,
 };
 use ngx::http::{HttpModule, HttpModuleLocationConf, HttpModuleMainConf, NgxHttpCoreModule};
-use ngx::{core::Status, http, http_request_handler, ngx_log_debug_http, ngx_modules, ngx_string};
+use ngx::{core::Status, http, http_request_handler, ngx_modules, ngx_string};
 use std::os::raw::{c_char, c_void};
 use std::ptr::addr_of;
 
@@ -246,57 +245,13 @@ extern "C" fn ngx_http_howto_commands_add_param(
     std::ptr::null_mut()
 }
 
-// HTTP request handler - minimal glue code orchestrating domain layer
+// HTTP request handler - correctness guaranteed by types (Ghost of Departed Proofs)
 http_request_handler!(howto_access_handler, |request: &mut http::Request| {
-    let co = Module::location_conf(request).expect("module config is none");
+    let config = Module::location_conf(request).expect("module config is none");
 
-    // Skip if not configured
-    if co.db_path.is_empty() || co.query.is_empty() || co.template_path.is_empty() {
-        return Status::NGX_OK;
+    // Type-safe gate: only proceed if we have proof of valid config
+    match ValidConfigToken::new(config) {
+        Some(valid_config) => process_request(request, valid_config),
+        None => Status::NGX_OK, // Not configured - skip silently
     }
-
-    // Parse configuration into validated domain types
-    let validated_config = match parsing::parse_config(co) {
-        Ok(config) => config,
-        Err(e) => return log_error(request, "config parse error", &e, http::HTTPStatus::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR),
-    };
-
-    // Get document root and URI from nginx
-    let (doc_root, uri) = match get_doc_root_and_uri(request) {
-        Ok(paths) => paths,
-        Err(e) => return log_error(request, "path resolution error", &e, http::HTTPStatus::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR),
-    };
-
-    // Resolve template path (pure function)
-    let resolved_template = domain::resolve_template_path(&doc_root, &uri, &validated_config.template_path);
-
-    // Resolve parameters from nginx variables
-    let var_resolver = NginxVariableResolver::new(request);
-    let resolved_params = match domain::resolve_parameters(&validated_config.parameters, &var_resolver) {
-        Ok(params) => params,
-        Err(e) => return log_error(request, "parameter resolution error", &e, http::HTTPStatus::BAD_REQUEST),
-    };
-
-    // Create processor with injected dependencies
-    let mut reg = handlebars::Handlebars::new();
-    let reg_ptr: *mut handlebars::Handlebars<'static> = unsafe { std::mem::transmute(&mut reg) };
-    let hbs_adapter = unsafe { HandlebarsAdapter::new(reg_ptr) };
-    let processor = RequestProcessor::new(SqliteQueryExecutor, hbs_adapter, hbs_adapter);
-
-    // Get global template directory
-    let main_conf = Module::main_conf(request).expect("main config is none");
-    let global_dir = if !main_conf.global_templates_dir.is_empty() {
-        Some(main_conf.global_templates_dir.as_str())
-    } else {
-        None
-    };
-
-    // Process request through functional core
-    let body = match processor.process(&validated_config, &resolved_template, &resolved_params, global_dir) {
-        Ok(html) => html,
-        Err(e) => return log_error(request, "request processing error", &e, http::HTTPStatus::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR),
-    };
-
-    // Send response
-    send_response(request, &body)
 });